"Embarrassed to Be a Seoul National University Graduate"... Kim Hye Eun Mentions 'Seol Nanyeong as a Role Model,' Directly Criticizes Yoo Si Min?

"Mrs. Seol Nanyeong Took Responsibility for Her Family Without a Corporate Card"
"Rotten Intellect... Deeply Hurt by Base Class Consciousness"

Actress Kim Hye Eun posted a message on social media (SNS) that appeared to target writer Yoo Si Min's disparaging remarks about Mrs. Seol Nanyeong (spouse of Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate), but later deleted the post.

Actress Kim Hye Eun posted a message on social media (SNS) that seemed to target writer Yoo Si Min, but later deleted it. Kim Hye Eun Instagram

On May 31, Kim Hye Eun wrote on SNS, "I don't think I've ever been as ashamed of my Seoul National University degree as I have been these past couple of days. I want to say that I am sorry on behalf of others." This was seen as a direct reference to Yoo Si Min, who graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. Kim Hye Eun herself is an alumna of the university, having studied vocal music.

She stated, "A person's academic background and intellect are nothing more than worthless boasts, like a thin sheet of paper, in front of those who prove their lives through diligence in their difficult journeys." She particularly criticized a certain individual, saying, "Those who carelessly judge and disparage another person's life possess the most shameful tongues."

Writer Yoo Si-min targeted Mrs. Seol Nanyeong, saying, "A marriage with a man so extraordinary that it creates an imbalance," and "The position of a presidential candidate's spouse is an unattainable place in Seol Nanyeong's life."

Referring to Mrs. Seol, she added, "Mrs. Seol, who has quietly stood behind her husband, taking responsibility for the family's livelihood without a single corporate card scandal, is a true role model and the driving force in my life." She continued, "I deeply respect mothers like Mrs. Seol, who have supported a man's dreams for a lifetime, taken responsibility for the family's livelihood, and, at the same time, have tried to devote themselves to justice as female labor activists. I respect them even more because I don't think I could have lived that way myself."

She also emphasized, "I am not someone who looks down on high school graduates or who is an arrogant, class-conscious, and rotten intellectual just because I am highly educated or graduated from Seoul National University." She added, "As a woman living in this era, it was a truly heartbreaking day because of such cheap and harsh words." Although the post has since been deleted, it is rapidly spreading across SNS and various online communities.

Previously, on May 28, Yoo Si Min appeared on the YouTube channel "Kim Eo Jun's Dasboida" and targeted Mrs. Seol, who graduated from Suncheon Girls' High School, became a labor activist, and later married Kim Moonsoo, a Seoul National University business administration graduate. Yoo Si Min claimed, "A marriage with a man so extraordinary that it creates an imbalance," and "The position of a presidential candidate's spouse is an unattainable place in Seol Nanyeong's life." He further stated, "That's why this person is now floating in the air. In short, it means she is not in her right mind."

In response, the People Power Party strongly criticized Yoo Si Min, accusing him of exposing pre-modern views on social status and marriage, as well as a base elitist mentality, and insisting that he is unqualified to speak of the spirit of Roh Moo Hyun.