Super Junior member Choi Siwon has come under intense scrutiny following a series of controversies last year. The first erupted after he expressed support for the late right-wing figure Charlie Kirk, which sparked criticism from both domestic and international fans. Additional backlash followed due to allegedly racist and Islamophobic posts on his social media accounts, as well as other controversial behaviors that fueled negative attention.
On February 19, Siwon posted a photo of a Chinese idiom on Instagram, interpreted as support for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who had recently been sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly leading a rebellion linked to the martial law incident. Yoon, a far-right political leader, is a highly polarizing figure, and Siwon’s post was met with widespread disapproval. Fans expressed their discontent publicly, and some reported being blocked by Siwon on X, further fueling the controversy.
These actions reignited calls for Siwon to leave Super Junior, a movement that had previously been dominated by international fans using the #Siwon_Out hashtag. Fans criticized his choice to publicly share political opinions as a public figure in popular culture, arguing that it is inappropriate for an idol to impose personal political views on others. Many urged him to step down to prevent further damage to Super Junior’s image, emphasizing that politics is a sensitive topic that should be approached carefully, particularly by those in the entertainment industry.
