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First Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
South Korea presidential elections: Why K-pop stars are ditching the ‘V' sign
South Korea will vote on Tuesday to elect their next president. As voting day nears, celebrities are taking great precautions while making gestures for photos. The 'V' sign is an absolute no for them. Here's why read more The 'V' sign has become taboo for Korean celebrities during presidential elections. Instagram/txt_bighit South Korea is heading to elections on Tuesday (June 3). The East Asian country will elect its new president after months of political upheaval. Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is pitted against the conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo. The June presidential elections have prompted Korean celebrities to be mindful about their actions in public for fear that they could be interpreted as support for a political candidate. Let's look at what is going on. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'V' sign out, clenched fists in K-pop stars are being wary about their hand gestures and poses as South Korea elects the new president this week. Celebrities are avoiding making the popular 'V' sign in public. As per a report by AllKpop, NMIXX girl group members Bae and Sullyoon organised a YouTube livestream on May 27 during which Bae made the V sign with her fingers. More from Explainers South Korea's presidential election: A look at the pivotal issues However, she immediately shouted, 'No! Don't do the V!", holding her head in distress. Sullyoon tried to ease the situation with a similar gesture. She hesitantly made a V sign as part of a challenge ending pose. However, after realising it might be seen as a political statement, Sullyoon immediately showed one to five numbers with her fingers. The selfies taken on voting days have also stirred controversies in South Korea. Some celebrities have gone to great lengths to choose their poses and outfits, even hiding their hair colour, reported The Korea Times. As the 'V' sign becomes taboo during elections, Korean stars have been clenching their fists when being photographed. The boy band Tomorrow X Together, or TXT, was recently captured showing clenched fists in a group photo. They also grabbed headlines after they improvised their V sign by counting from one to five during a live broadcast. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To avoid controversy, virtual boy band PLAVE carefully folded their fingers while posing for a group photo on May 24 during a YouTube livestream. As per AllKpop, the boy band ZEROBASEONE's Kim Tae Rae edited a selfie last week after sharing his picture making a V sign on the fan communication app Bubble, with the caption 'I'm in Korea' via. He wrote a message later: 'Oh right. I heard we shouldn't do the V sign during this season,' and added, 'I'll neutralise it with my blue phone case.' He took down the photo after this text. Why 'V' sign is a big NO K-pop stars have ditched certain poses and hand gestures during the presidential race as they could be perceived as making a political statement. The V sign can be interpreted as support for the conservative People Power Party. It is 'number 2' on the ballot and identified with the colour red, as per the AllKpop report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the V sign resembles the number 2, the gesture can be seen as celebrities endorsing a particular party. South Korea's snap elections South Korea is voting to pick the successor of conservative Yoon Suk Yeol . Yoon was ousted by Parliament last December after he briefly imposed martial law. His impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court in April. Now, liberal Democratic Party candidate Lee is facing People Power Party's Kim in the South Korean presidential elections. Four other candidates are in the race, including Lee Jun-seok of the small conservative New Reform Party. Surveys give Lee an edge over Kim in the presidential race, with the Democratic Party candidate leading with 49.2 per cent against the PPP nominee's 36.8 per cent. Early voting has concluded, with the 21st presidential election slated for Tuesday. With inputs from agencies
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
BTS' V Says Meeting ARMY Is Top Priority After Military Discharge
Last Updated: The screenshot from V's military discharge countdown app read 'Sergeant Elio D-9', marking the beginning of his final countdown before his return. The much-awaited reunion of the globally popular K-pop group BTS is just around the corner, marking their return after nearly three years of hiatus. The seven members are as eager as their devoted fans to come together again. Among them, V (Kim Taehyung) recently shared his excitement about completing his 18-month mandatory military service, bringing the group one step closer to reuniting. The 29-year-old singer shared a countdown of the days remaining before his discharge from the military on his Instagram Stories on Sunday, June 1. V enlisted for his mandatory service in December 2023. The post featured a screenshot from his military discharge countdown app that read 'Sergeant Elio D-9", marking the beginning of his final countdown before V's return on June 10. The post immediately sparked a frenzy among his fans. 【テテInstagram】 2025. 6.1 #thv ストーリー — TAETAE VOTING JP (@taetaevoting_jp) June 1, 2025 ARMYs did not just notice the D-9 countdown but also his profile picture, where V, in his military uniform, was seen feeding grass to a sheep. Later, when the BTS star interacted with his fans on Weverse, one of his fans couldn't help but ask why he used the name 'Elio" and the story behind him feeding grass to the sheep. As quoted by AllKpop, Taehyung revealed, 'It's my English name from when I used to attend an English fairy tale school." He jokingly added, 'Yes, I even bought grass." When another fan questioned V about his excitement on his return in just 9 days, the BTS member asked his fans what they should do to celebrate the occasion and said, 'Yes! What should we do? What do you want to do?" One fan also asked V about his post-military plans. The 29-year-old singer had the best answer, which ARMYs were waiting to hear. He said, 'Of course, I need to see ARMY as soon as possible." He continued, 'You waited, so what do you want? Tell me everything." Speaking of V's work front, the 29-year-old BTS singer continued to enthral his fans even when he was serving in the military. In December last year, he released two tracks, Winter Ahead feat. Park Hyo Shin and White Christmas, a remake of Bing Crosby's classic song. V, along with BTS' leader RM, will complete their mandatory military enlistment on June 10, while Jimin and Jungkook will be relieved on June 11. Suga, on the other hand, is expected to be discharged on June 21. First Published:
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Why K-pop Idols Are Avoiding ‘V' Sign Ahead Of South Korea's Presidential Election
Last Updated: 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. First Published:
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
SEVENTEEN Star Jeonghan Breaks The Internet With Striking Military Look
Last Updated: The K-pop idol was spotted in his military uniform, standing alongside fellow soldiers from his regime. Members of the South Korean boy group SEVENTEEN are either preparing for or currently fulfilling their mandatory military service. Among the 13 members, vocalist Yoon Jeonghan was the first to enlist, beginning his service in September last year. Though he has been away from the spotlight for several months, Jeonghan continues to capture attention even during his time in the military. In a now-viral photo, K-pop idol Yoon Jeonghan was spotted in his military uniform, standing alongside fellow soldiers from his regiment, as reported by AllKpop. Although he began his service as a social worker, Jeonghan instantly caught fans' attention on social media. His sharp visuals, military haircut, and flawless features left the Carats swooning. Even in uniform, he impressed his fans, who flooded platforms with praise, gushing over his effortlessly striking appearance. JEONGHAN IN MILITARY UNIFORM PHOTO RELEASED 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 — 하니행뵹 (@flamehanie) May 28, 2025 One fan said, 'What the… he's so dang handsome. I knew he was good-looking but…" Another added, 'I'm shocked that he went to the military, but I'm more shocked about how good his face looks." A different fan commented, 'Wow. He looks like he can just change out of his uniform and perform on stage." 'It's so true how idols just naturally look good in these I.D. photos," wrote someone else. Jeonghan enlisted in the military on September 26, 2024. Right before beginning his mandatory service, the SEVENTEEN member shared a heartfelt message with his fans, asking them to take care of themselves while he was gone and shared that he would be caring for himself as well. Taking to Weverse, the 29-year-old wrote, 'CARATs, it's Jeonghan. I will not forget how grateful I am for the plentiful love CARATs always send me, and for the time being, I'll be cheering on the members' activities alongside you guys. I'll eat well, sleep well, and be well, so don't worry, everyone. CARATs, stay healthy too, and I'll see you again. I'll be back! Hanihae." Speaking of his work front, Jeonghan, who first released a solo in 2021, dropped a single titled Better Half, featuring Omoinotake, on January 27 while serving in the military. A Japanese version of the same song was featured in Omoinotake's album Pieces. First Published:
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
BTS' V and IU spotted on dinner date with 2AM's Seulong and mystery woman; fans ask, ‘Where is Lee Jong Suk?
BTS member Kim Taehyung seems to have taken a military day off to celebrate IU, aka Lee Ji Eun's, 32nd birthday. On May 16, South Korean fan communities' social media handles were swamped with multiple pictures of the duo dining together at a luxurious Seoul hotel, trying to keep low-key. While initially only Taehyung's face was clearly visible in the photos, many soon decoded that the woman sitting across with a wide-brimmed hat and a flannel shirt is none other than his co-star—based on her livestream session that took place with fans on the same day, where the singer wore the same outfit. Also read: 'Taehyung, thanks to you, I never gave up': BTS' V's friend from military shares new photos, recalls beautiful memories The second youngest member of the South Korean boy band, Taehyung, earlier collaborated with IU for her music video Love Wins All, which is a bittersweet story about a young couple set in a post-apocalyptic world. The two have since maintained a good friendship, even appreciating each other in interviews and attending concerts. So it wasn't a big surprise when V took a day off to celebrate her big day, but the cosy sighting still fanned some controversy since IU is publicly dating Lee Jong Suk, who was not present during the dinner. Later, it was revealed that the duo were indeed not alone, but they also met with 2AM's Seulong and another female acquaintance. I smell collab OMG @bluemphoria 🥹 — 𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖍 🐰🧸🥢 BTS YEAR 💜 (@agusthvkooo) May 15, 2025 One user who shared the picture from the restaurant, wrote, 'I saw V at MOSU TTTTTT,' according to All Kpop. They added, 'I was always calm no matter what celebrity I ran into.. But V, I'm not even a fan but he's not human. His skin looks like it was blurred by 100 percent.. And his face is 100 percent eyes.. I'm still awestruck.. Well, at least I got to take a pic(?).' Also read: BTS' Jin admits he doesn't speak to Jungkook 'carelessly' despite being his hyung, says 'We have scary fans' Taehyung is currently serving in South Korea's SDT, which is a counter-terrorism unit. Recently, a fellow soldier of V who was discharged from the military shared an update about the singer, revealing that not only was he promoted to Sergeant Kim rank, but also won multiple awards for his exceptional performance even in unhealthy condition. The singer chose to enlist in the special duty team while the other 6 BTS members went for regular military service. IU, on the other hand, recently wrapped up her filming for When Life Gives You Tangerines with Park Bo Gum and is back to her music and concert shows. The picture went viral in seconds, and fans are hoping for a collaboration. 'Do a drama together please,' a fan commented. 'Their chemistry is just undeniable, date guys pls,' another insisted. Others were relieved to find that it was a friendly gathering and not a solo outing. 'I figured there were other people from the start — V kept glancing to the side,' one wrote. Another added, 'Ah, turns out it was with acquaintances lololololol.' Some criticised those trying to stir controversy and said, 'I really don't get why this became such a big deal. It was probably a shared gathering to celebrate both V finishing his service and IU's birthday. What are people even doing, trying to stir things up when the female celeb is already openly dating someone else?' One more chimed in, 'Fr, she's publicly dating someone else, but these delusional shippers and forced narratives need to be put in a hospital.' Meanwhile, IU is teaming up with Cha Eun Woo for a new track from her A Flower Bookmark album. The project would finally be Eun Woo's last before he enlists in the military. BTS, on the other hand, is set to reunite in June.
