"Forced me, it's unbearable"... Sky Yang's father, who mentioned Jang Wonyoung, expresses pain

Controversy Among Netizens Over Kim Haneul's Father's Request
"He Asked Because His Daughter Truly Admired Her During Her Lifetime," He Explains

Speaker Woo Won-shik visited the funeral hall set up at Konyang University in Seo-gu, Daejeon, on the afternoon of the 12th to pay his respects at the funeral of the late elementary school student Kim Ha-neul from Daejeon. He is seen consoling Ha-neul's father. Photo by the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly

The father of elementary school student Kim Haneul, who died from a stabbing by a teacher in Daejeon, requested condolences from Jang Wonyoung of the girl group IVE, saying his daughter was a fan of hers. This has sparked a debate over the pros and cons of condolence messages on Jang Wonyoung’s social media (SNS). On the 12th, Kim’s father publicly asked for Jang Wonyoung’s condolences during a morning press conference. He shared that Kim was a fan of the idol group IVE during her lifetime, saying, "Haneul always asked me to take her to IVE concerts in Daejeon, and I promised her." He added, "Haneul’s dream was Jang Wonyoung herself. I know you are busy, but if possible, please come to see Haneul once." Later that afternoon, Jang Wonyoung’s Instagram was flooded with comments from numerous netizens.

Kwon Young-se, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is paying his respects at the funeral hall set up for Kim Ha-neul at Konyang University Hospital in Daejeon on the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News

Netizens who supported the idea of offering condolences commented, "Please say a word of support for Haneul in Daejeon," "Please make sure to attend the funeral of the young angel who was brutally sacrificed. I beg you," and "I’m really sorry, but can’t you do something for the poor child’s last journey?" On the other hand, some expressed that the request for condolences was excessive. Comments such as "Don’t force condolences," "Sending a wreath is already more than enough," and "It’s a matter for the individual to decide, not coercion" argued that pressuring someone to visit the funeral home was inappropriate.

Among these, one netizen stated, "The biggest reason why Jang Wonyoung should not attend the condolences in person is because it could cause a kind of ‘Werther effect’," explaining, "Immature children might think that if they die, Jang Wonyoung might come to their funeral, so she must never go." Earlier, upon hearing that Kim was a fan of IVE, Starship Entertainment, IVE’s agency, sent a condolence wreath to the funeral home with the message "Singer IVE. We sincerely pray for the deceased’s repose," along with photo cards that Kim had liked during her lifetime.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the funeral hall set up for Kim Ha-neul at Konyang University Hospital in Daejeon on the evening of the 12th to pay his respects. Photo by Yonhap News

As the controversy spread, Kim’s father said in an interview with The Hankyoreh the day before, "The request for Jang Wonyoung, whom Haneul liked during her lifetime, to come see the child was literally a request, not a coercion," adding, "As a father, I wanted to show Wonyoung, whom my child really liked and wanted to see, now that she has become a star. But seeing articles carelessly written as ‘debates over coercion’ makes it really hard to endure."

Meanwhile, political figures including Kwon Young-se, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, and Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, visited the funeral hall at Konyang University Hospital in Daejeon where Kim’s funeral was held to pay their respects. On the other hand, Kim was stabbed to death on the afternoon of the 10th by a female teacher in her 40s suffering from depression at school. The teacher confessed to the crime and revealed that she had been receiving treatment for depression since 2018 and had returned to work early. During police investigation, the teacher stated, "I planned to die together with any child, and I called the last child leaving to the audiovisual room by saying I would give them a book, then committed the crime."