Short Track Star Kwak Yoon-gy's 'Poverty' Claims Spark Controversy
Former national short track speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy is facing strong criticism from netizens after appearing on a variety show picking up empty bottles while claiming to be struggling financially. The act is being called 'contrived' given that he recently purchased a ₩300 million (approx. $225,000 USD) apartment with a view of the Han River and is a YouTuber with 940,000 subscribers.
Provocative Teaser: 'Total Assets of ₩1.06 Million'
TV Chosun's variety show 'My Way - Over-immersion Club' (hereafter 'Over-immersion Club') released a preview video featuring Kwak Yoon-gy on the 23rd. The video began with provocative content right from the start.
"Former short track national athlete Kwak Yoon-gy bankrupt?!"
This caption, along with the sum of '₩1,069,464 (approx. $800 USD) in total assets,' was revealed, drawing attention. The shocking setup was that a national athlete and Olympic medalist was on the verge of bankruptcy.
"Where Did My Money Go?" Complaints of Financial Difficulty
In the preview, Kwak Yoon-gy complained of financial difficulties.
"Sigh, at this rate, when will I ever save money? Where did my money go?"
"My 'over-immersion' theme is frugality. Ah, my money. I have to save it tenaciously."
He stated that his 'over-immersion' theme was frugality and that he had to save money tenaciously.
Public Unveiling of Empty Bottle Picking
In the following scene, Kwak Yoon-gy was even shown going around picking up 'empty bottles' himself. The setup was that he was picking up empty bottles on the street to earn living expenses.
However, he then playfully incorporated 'financial difficulties' into a 'meal cost' bet with Judo national athlete brothers Jo Jun-ho and Jo Jun-hyun, and TVXQ's U-Know Yunho. In the end, it was revealed that it was not a serious financial hardship but a variety show concept.
Recent Purchase of ₩300 Million Han River View Apartment
After the preview was released, negative public opinion arose towards both Kwak Yoon-gy and 'Over-immersion Club' itself.
In particular, he recently appeared on MBC's 'Save Me! Holmes' as a client. At the time, Kwak Yoon-gy said:
"I've been living like an unemployed person after only doing sports."
However, he ultimately chose a '₩300 million Han River view apartment.' He showed that he had the financial means to purchase a high-end ₩300 million apartment, even though he said he was living like an unemployed person.
Major YouTuber with 940,000 Subscribers
Furthermore, Kwak Yoon-gy is also a 'major YouTuber' with nearly 940,000 subscribers. It is estimated that he earns a considerable income from YouTube revenue alone.
It is generally known that YouTubers with over 900,000 subscribers earn tens of millions of won per month. Therefore, it seems very unlikely that Kwak Yoon-gy is actually struggling financially.
"The Setup is Too Much" Outpouring of Criticism
Because Kwak Yoon-gy suddenly showed himself picking up 'empty bottles' on 'Over-immersion Club,' there has been an outpouring of criticism that "the setup is too much."
The producers of 'Over-immersion Club' repeatedly emphasized 'picking up empty bottles to earn living expenses,' highlighting the artificial situation, which is why they could not avoid harsh criticism.
Controversy Over Variety Shows' 'Poverty Concept'
This controversy is leading to widespread criticism of variety shows' 'poverty concept.' Recently, many variety shows have exaggeratedly portrayed celebrities pretending to be poor or being frugal.
However, it has been consistently pointed out that celebrities who are actually financially well-off using the 'poverty concept' can be hurtful to people who are living truly difficult lives.
Heavy Responsibility of the Production Team
The responsibility lies not only with Kwak Yoon-gy personally but also with the 'Over-immersion Club' production team. Criticism continues to be directed at the production team for creating an artificial situation by using the caption 'picking up empty bottles to earn living expenses.'
It is understandable to some extent that variety shows use exaggerated setups for the sake of entertainment, but it is problematic to lightly treat the realities of people who are actually living difficult lives.
Kwak Yoon-gy's Illustrious Career
Meanwhile, Kwak Yoon-gy is a former national short track speed skater who won two silver medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The fact that he has an illustrious career as an Olympic medalist, succeeded as a YouTuber after retirement, and even purchased a ₩300 million apartment, makes the extreme setup of 'picking up empty bottles' even more criticized.
Broadcast Scheduled for the 29th
The Kwak Yoon-gy episode of 'Over-immersion Club' is scheduled to air on the 29th at 10 PM. It remains to be seen how the broadcast content will be edited after this controversy, and whether the production team will provide additional explanations.
This controversy sends a significant message to the industry about where to draw the appropriate line between the concept of a variety show and reality.
이미지 목록:
Source :https://blog.naver.com/roadtowrestling
No comments yet.
