I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
INTERVIEW Wounded soul makes Qatar second home
TV personality and actress Lee Merry, right, poses with Qatari national football team manager Felix Sanchez Bas in Doha, Qatar on May 18. Courtesy of Lee Merry
By Kang Hyun-kyung
TV star Lee Merry says she is a victim of fake news
By Kang Hyun-kyung
For TV personality and actress Lee Merry, the past two months have been a nightmare. She has deemed herself a victim of fake news.
Lee's tribulations began in March when actress Yoon Ji-oh released her memoir “13th Testimony” about her memories of fellow actress Jang Ja-yeon and her tragic death in 2009 after she was forced to have sexual relationships with several influential men.
Reading and watching news about the “courageous” woman, Lee, who was and still is in Qatar for business, was encouraged to tell her side of the story as a victim of sexual harassment.
Lee, CEO of Maryam Communication, uploaded a post to her Facebook account, accusing an executive of Samsung Group and a former lawmaker of having sexually harassed her. She disclosed their real names and warned that they would pay the price for their past misdeeds.
Her post went viral and a male reporter from an online media outlet covered her story after he discovered her Facebook post. The breaking news about the latest #MeToo revelation paved the way for a slew of media coverage about Lee.
In the news it was reported that Lee was planning to have a news conference in Seoul in April to disclose further details.
Lee said she panicked at the Korean news. “Many of the stories were sensational yellow journalism. I was depicted as the next Jang Ja-yeon. Some articles were not based on facts and some were overblown,” she said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
“I've never ever told anybody that I would hold a news conference. The guy who 'got the scoop' on my story contacted the non-profit advocate group Justice Association and encouraged them to hold a joint news conference with me, without prior discussion.”
Feeling pressure, Lee deleted her Facebook post and made it clear that she had no intention to meet reporters for a news conference, whatsoever. Some Korean media outlets blamed her for her irresponsibility and changing her position.
“I couldn't focus on my work. I was so disturbed by the way my issue was handled,” she said.
Lee has been in Qatar for her own project related to the Qatar World Cup, but she declined to disclose what it is in great detail.
Debuting in 1994 as a TV show host, Lee had a smooth career transition into acting and appeared in several TV series. SBS TV's “New Tales of Gisaeng” that aired in 2011 was her last project on the small screen.
Lee said her relationship with TV went awry after she had a minor spat with the staff of the production company about medical coverage. She sustained injuries to her knees while practicing a traditional drum dance to prepare herself for a new role in a TV series. Grappling with soaring medical bills, Lee asked the company to pay for her treatment, a request that was rejected. The production company then tried to hide the fact that they had not covered her medical bills.
Lee Merry poses at the newly opened National Museum of Qatar in Doha on Friday. Courtesy of Lee Merry
Lee said she was tired of show business. Around that time, she happened to see a video clip featuring Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who has led educational and social reform in Qatar.
The Qatari royal family member was giving a presentation promoting the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The video reminded Lee of her late father who had worked in the Middle East for seven years. Because of that, she felt an instant connection to Qatar.
“I was so touched by Sheikha Moza's presentation about the World Cup and she inspired me to be part of the campaign,” Lee said.
She has since become an ardent fan of the Qatari national football team and divides her time between Korea and Qatar. Whenever the team has football matches with foreign countries, she flies to the destination and chants for the Middle Eastern team. She has travelled to the United Arab Emirates, China and Russia to cheer for the players using her own money.
During the 2018 Russian World Cup, Lee mingled with international football fans who flocked to Russia to cheer for their national teams.
She prepared lots of Qatar football fan gear which surprised fans from other countries. Wearing a uniform featuring the Qatari national flag, she chanted for Qatar during the Asian Cup football tournaments held in January.
The Korean lady cheering for Qatar was spotted by Qatari people and she became famous.
The Qatar Football Association learned about the Korean football fan during the Asian Cup, and it awarded Lee a certificate of acknowledgement and appreciation for her efforts to promote Team Qatar. She was also given a jersey with a No. 12 on the back. She became a celebrity in the small Gulf state and was invited to several TV shows, including Qatari sports channel, beIN Sports' morning show.
Lee is preparing for another trip to South America for the Copa America football championship to be held in Brazil between June 14 and July 7.
“My mom doesn't know about my plan to travel to Brazil. My money has run out,” she said.
But such monetary constraints don't stop her from being the 12th honorary player of Team Qatar.