Zo In-sung hit with politically charged comments online over remarks on filming amid 2024 martial law crisis

Actor Zo In-sung / Yonhap

Actor Zo In-sung is facing hate comments online after remarks he made during a recent television appearance were pulled into a broader political backlash.

The actor’s social media comment section has since been flooded with remarks from some politically motivated users, with the attacks appearing under an otherwise routine post thanking an advertising brand he had worked with for six years.

Many of the comments reference his past remarks about exchange rates during the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law situation.

Commenters have left messages such as “You said exchange rates were rising during martial law — now they’re in the mid-1,500 won range, why are you silent?” Other comments read “Prices are much higher than during martial law — You need to make a statement” and “Are all celebrities left-wing?”

The backlash appears to trace back to Zo’s appearance last month on MBC’s “Questions by Sohn Seok-hee,” where he joined director Ryoo Seung-wan to promote their newly released film “Humint.”

During the interview, host Sohn Suk-hee noted that the film is set in Vladivostok, Russia, but was shot in Latvia. Ryoo explained that while Vladivostok would have been geographically closer, filming there was not possible because of the war in Ukraine.

Zo then hesitated before adding, “There was also something else, though I’m not sure if I can say this. We almost couldn’t even go to Latvia.”

Impact of martial law fiasco

Ryoo went on to explain that the team had been scheduled to depart on Dec. 4, 2024, the day after Korea’s short-lived martial law declaration.

“By around 11 p.m. on Dec. 3, we were being told we might not be able to leave the country,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘What is going on?’”

Zo added that he and the director had spent a long time discussing whether the trip would still happen, joking, “Director, are we going? Do I need to pack again?”

Zo In-sung, left, during an appearance on MBC's "Questions by Sohn Seok-hee" / Captured from “Questions by Sohn Seok-hee"

Ryoo said the team had ultimately been able to board their morning flight after the martial law order was lifted overnight. He also recalled that the fallout continued to follow them overseas.

“We had a layover in Istanbul, and BBC News kept reporting on what was happening in Korea,” he said. “It made me think, ‘So this is what it feels like when a country seems to lose its bearings.’ When we arrived in Latvia, even the local staff were worried about Korea.”

The conversation also touched on the financial toll the situation had on the production. Referring to the sharp rise in the won-dollar exchange rate, Zo said the currency swing had significantly driven up costs while the cast and crew were staying abroad for filming.

Zo In-sung appearing on MBC's "Questions by Sohn Seok-hee." Captured from “Questions by Sohn Seok-hee"

“Part of the reason production costs rose so much was the won-dollar exchange rate,” he said. “The soaring rate was especially critical because we were staying overseas during filming.”

Some politically motivated users appeared to overinterpret Zo's remarks and began effectively directing others to target the actor online, in a practice often referred to in Korea as “jwapyo jjikgi.”

Users then flooded his comment section with sarcastic demands that he speak out on the current exchange rate and rising prices. “Must be feeling like you’ve lost your country now, with the exchange rate even higher than it was back then,” one user wrote, capturing the politically charged tone of the attacks. Others escalated the backlash into partisan name-calling, with some even turning his name into a slur.

Zo, however, has not directly addressed the backlash and has continued posting on social media as usual.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.