Why K-pop Idols Are Avoiding ‘V' Sign Ahead Of South Korea's Presidential Election
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With South Korea's presidential election scheduled for June 3, celebrities are extremely cautious about hand gestures to avoid controversy.
As the South Korean presidential election nears, K-pop idols have become increasingly cautious about their hand gestures and poses amid rising controversy over political symbolism. The 21st presidential election in the country is set to take place on June 3 to replace Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yeol was removed from his office for placing the country under martial law for six hours in December last year. The incident had led to widespread protests and criticism. Since then, South Korea has seen three acting presidents. Now, the country is preparing for an election to choose a new leader. With this, K-pop idols have started avoiding certain gestures and poses while making public appearances.
On May 27, NMIXX's Bae flashed a 'V' sign during a YouTube livestream. She immediately realised and said, 'No! Don't do the V!" and held her head in distress. Sullyoon tried to smooth things over with a similar pose. As part of a challenge ending pose, she hesitantly made a 'V' sign. Worried about its possible political interpretations, she then quickly showed all numbers from one to five with her fingers instead, as reported by AllKpop.
The precautions come as the sign is linked to the conservative People Power Party in South Korea. The gesture can be seen as a symbol of support, since the party is represented by 'number 2" on the ballot and the colour red. As a result, celebrities have been extra cautious, fearing that their gestures could be misinterpreted as a political endorsement.
The boy group, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), was also captured making a neutral pose in a photo shared on their social media. The five-membered group, which is typically seen making the 'V' gesture as a popular greeting among many K-pop groups, clenched their fists as they posed for the camera.
Similarly, during a group photo on their May 24 YouTube live broadcast, members of the virtual group PLAVE were also seen carefully folding their fingers while posing. ZEROBASEONE's Kim Tae Rae hurriedly edited a picture after he posed with a 'V' sign, and even RIIZE's Shotaro had to quickly change his pose upon realising that he made the same sign.
The South Korean presidential elections are typically held in the winter. However, due to the incident linked to Yeol, the schedule has been moved up, leading to an early election this year.
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