Practice of Smoking Scene in Musical 'Mata Hari'
Guided by Colleague Using Vitamin Stick
"Why Post on SNS?" vs "It's Not Real Cigarette, So What?"
Ok Joo-hyun (44), a musical actress and former member of the group Fin.K.L, revealed a scene where she was being coached on smoking acting on the street, sparking a heated debate among netizens.
On the 5th, Ok Joo-hyun posted a video on her social media (SNS) with the caption, "Smoking is difficult. I will diligently study so as not to disappoint the teachers who helped me. Always a sea of laughter, our Mata Hari team." In the video, she practiced smoking acting on the street with fellow actor Noh Yoon, who is also scheduled to appear in the musical "Mata Hari." Ok Joo-hyun was being taught by Noh Yoon how to hold a cigarette in her hand, how to put it in her mouth, and other typical postures and habits of smokers.
Some netizens responded negatively, saying things like, "Still, it doesn't look good to do that on the street," "Practice should be done in the rehearsal room," "This is not an appropriate scene to post on SNS," and "Even if it's a fake cigarette, it looks like a tobacco substitute, so it's inappropriate." On the other hand, others expressed opinions that it was not a controversy, saying, "It's not a real cigarette but a vitamin stick, so what's the problem?" "She's making an effort for natural acting, so I don't think she deserves criticism," and "It's not illegal, so what's the big deal?"
Ok Joo-hyun is known for not smoking to take care of her vocal cords as a musical actress. In the past, comedian Kang Ho-dong revealed on a broadcast, "When Ok Joo-hyun was active as a member of Fin.K.L, I once rode in the same car with her, and when I smoked in the car, she shouted loudly, 'Put out the cigarette,'" adding, "This incident became the reason I quit smoking."
Meanwhile, smoking on the street, right in the middle of the road, is colloquially called "gilppang" (street smoking). It is often considered a nuisance because it exposes an unspecified number of pedestrians to secondhand smoke. Constitutionally, the right to smoke is subordinate to the right to health, which is connected to the right to life. Currently, street smoking itself is not classified as a minor offense in South Korea, but smoking in no-smoking zones results in fines under the National Health Promotion Act. Additionally, fines are imposed if cigarette butts are discarded on the street. In February 2019, the so-called "Gilppang Prohibition Act," which proposed a fine of 100,000 won for smoking while walking, was introduced but did not pass the National Assembly and has not been discussed since.
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