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Singer under fire for likening Yoon's wife to Michael Jackson for plastic surgery
An Chi-hwan sings in a music video for "Lady Who Looks like Michael Jackson" / Screen capture from YouTube
By Ko Dong-hwan
By Ko Dong-hwan
The album cover for An Chi-hwan's new single, "Lady Who Looks like Michael Jackson"
Musician An Chi-hwan's newly-released rock number, “
Lady Who Looks like Michael Jackson
,” has caused presidential hopeful Yoon Suk-yeol to fume with rage, as the song allegedly satirized the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate's wife, Kim Keon-hee, who, facing multiple allegations of misconduct, has been at the center of a number of scandals in the lead-up to the March 9 election.
The song incensed Yoon, as it mocks his wife, Kim Keon-hee.
The main opposition PPP candidate told reporters, Feb. 14, that he felt “sorry for my wife that, because of my political campaign, she has had to suffer a lot in this unworthy attack against me.” Calling Jackson “a great musician who wholeheartedly took care of people across the world,” he said it “feels grotesque even to see Michael Jackson being used in this undeserving way.”
Yoon reiterated his comments later that day on Facebook. This time, he seemed to have bought the rumor spread by members of the public stating that An had targeted his wife with the song.
“My wife has been suffering a lot because of my political career, including public attention to how she looks,” his comment read. He also criticized An for “crossing certain lines that even freedom of expression should take as common sense,” and “making an ad hominem attack on someone and arousing misogyny.”
Released on Feb. 11, the song has many alleged references to Kim. The single album's cover has a caricature portrait of the late American artist that resembles Kim. The lyrics also include plenty of traces reminiscent of Kim. Many phrases in the song repeatedly end with a word that sounds exactly like how “Keon-hee” is pronounced. Referring to a “lady who changed her face and name many times,” the song carries double connotations not just to Jackson but also to Kim ― who is rumored to have had plastic surgery and who is known to have changed her name.
Yoon Suk-yeol, left, and Kim Keon-hee making a televised apology to the public over having falsified her credentials on her resumes in December 2021. Korea Times file
The lyrics also read, “No more, No more, One such person is more than enough,” which people assume reflects An's animosity toward Kim. “Why are you doing this? What do you want? You must know yourself,” are other lyrics that people view as reflecting An pointing his finger at Kim.
The musician responded to Yoon, Feb. 15, by posting a statement on his YouTube channel, “An Chi-hwan TV.” He said that the song satirizes Choi Soon-sil, the behind-the-curtains mastermind who controlled former President Park Geun-hye during the latter's term from 2013 until she was impeached and jailed in 2017. He dubbed the now-imprisoned Choi, “the dark shadow of an authority who threw many Koreans into despair.”
“I made this song out of the concern that a similar nightmare could happen again,” he said. “I hope these thoughts reach all of those who view (the video) and listen to the song.”
An added that although he wrote the song, it is up to listeners to evaluate and interpret it. “I saw that there are various interpretations of my latest song. Some reviews were positive, while others were sharply critical. I humbly accept all of them,” he said on the video platform.
The song invited a slew of criticism from internet users, as well, in particular, claims of misogyny. Others reproached An for his new song's disrespectful attitude toward the late pop icon.