Recently, actress Han Seonhwa appeared on her YouTube channel
and after some remarks caused controversy, the video was set to private
also made comments on deepfake crimes as "overestimating the threat"
Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, has sparked controversy by appearing as a guest on actress Han Sun-hwa's YouTube channel 'Gunggeumhan Sunhwa' (Curious Sunhwa). In the broadcast, Lee revealed how he spends his monthly salary of 11 million KRW as a member of the National Assembly and shared his personal opinion on deepfake crimes, drawing criticism from netizens. On the 11th, a video titled 'Talks of Soaring and Falling' featuring Lee Jun-seok was posted on Han Sun-hwa's YouTube channel 'Gunggeumhan Sunhwa.' The video subtitles included an explanation stating, "The production team and Lee Jun-seok have a friendly relationship," indicating that Lee's appearance was due to his connection with the production team.
Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, appeared as a guest on actress Han Sun-hwa's YouTube channel 'Gunggeumhan Sunhwa,' sparking controversy. [Photo by YouTube channel 'Gunggeumhan Sunhwa']
Han Sun-hwa, facing Lee, asked, "Can I call you 'Assemblyman'?" and added, "We are only five years apart. If it's not rude, please call me 'Sunhwa'." In response, Lee called her "Sunhwa" and said, "Politicians do whatever they are told," creating a relaxed atmosphere. Throughout the friendly conversation, Lee mentioned that one of his National Assembly speech videos on YouTube Shorts had reached 2.7 million views. Upon hearing that Han Sun-hwa's channel's highest view count was 220,000, he joked, "Shall we aim for 3 million? Bring some drinks, and change the broadcast title (channel name) to 'Hwageunhan Sunhwa' (Fiery Sunhwa)."
In the video, he also disclosed how he spends his salary as a member of the National Assembly. Lee said, "The salary is about 11 million KRW. Politicians have to spend that much because it's hard to find places to eat for free," and explained, "It's not a big deal, but you have to eat course meals starting from lunch. Around Yeouido, there are many restaurants priced at 29,900 KRW."
However, immediately after the video was released, netizens voiced criticism. Comments included, "Is it appropriate to invite a politician? It doesn't match the channel's identity or the subscribers' needs," "Even if it was the production team's idea, Han Sun-hwa must have agreed; I'm really disappointed," "Did no one raise any issues beforehand?" and "So, is the salary considered low now?"
In the video, Representative Lee Jun-seok mentioned that a YouTube Shorts video containing his speech at the National Assembly had reached 2.7 million views. Upon hearing that the highest view count on Han Sun-hwa's channel was 220,000, he joked, "Shall we aim for 3 million? Bring some drinks, and let's change the broadcast title (channel name) to 'HwageunHan Sun-hwa'." [Photo by YouTube channel 'Gunggeumhan Sun-hwa']
In particular, one netizen criticized Lee's remark on the recently serious social issue of 'deepfake sexual violence crimes,' where he said, "The threat is currently overestimated," calling it "inappropriate language and behavior." Another netizen commented on this opinion, saying, "In times like these, to put someone who says the number of deepfake perpetrators is exaggerated together with a female celebrity is speechless," and added, "Other girls and celebrities strongly respond to illegal deepfake composites, but Han Sun-hwa is taking this approach," among other comments. As criticism continued and the video spread across various online communities and social media, the production team soon made the video private. However, they did not issue any explanation or statement.
Meanwhile, according to the '2024 National Assembly Member Allowance and Payment Standards' announced by the National Assembly Secretariat, the annual salary for members this year is approximately 157 million KRW before tax. This is a 1.7% increase (about 3 million KRW) from last year (about 154 million KRW). Specifically, the monthly general allowance is 7,079,000 KRW, management duty allowance is 637,190 KRW, bonus is 15,575,780 KRW, holiday and vacation pay is 8,495,880 KRW, legislative activity expenses are 3,136,000 KRW, and special activity expenses are 784,000 KRW.
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