Jung Woo-sung post triggers backlash for Blue Dragon Film Awards

Actor Jung Woo-sung at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday / Yonhap

The Blue Dragon Film Awards sparked controversy after briefly sharing a social media post that appeared to support actor Jung Woo-sung, who is confirmed to be the father of model Moon Ga-bi’s child born out of wedlock. The post was edited following the backlash.

The official Instagram account of the Blue Dragon Film Awards uploaded a video titled “45th Blue Dragon Jung Woo-sung Apologizes for Illegitimate Child Controversy: ‘I Will Take Responsibility as a Father,'" on Saturday.

The hashtags #BlueDragon’sSincerity and #JungWooSung’sSincerity were included in the post. However, the comments section was disabled, seemingly in anticipation of negative reactions.

During the awards ceremony on Friday, Jung addressed the controversy in his first public statement, saying, “I stand here today with everyone involved in '12.12: The Day,' hoping that my personal issues do not cast a shadow over this film. I will shoulder all the criticism and fulfill my responsibilities as a father.”

Despite his remarks, the post drew mixed reactions. Screenshots of it circulated in online communities, with comments such as, “If they’re going to post it, why block comments?” and “Why is the Blue Dragon team so protective of him?”

The official Blue Dragon Film Awards Instagram, which previously used the hashtag "Jung Woo-sung's sincerity," has since edited and deleted the hashtags on the post as of Monday. Captured from Instagram

Many users criticized the perceived bias of the organizers. In response, the hashtags were removed from the post, leaving only the phrase “45th Blue Dragon Film Awards.” As of Monday, the post remains edited.

Adding to the controversy, the Blue Dragon Film Awards faced additional criticism for failing to pay tribute to the late actress Kim Soo-mi, who passed away suddenly in October. The perceived lack of acknowledgment has fueled further disapproval from the public.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.