“Fav director! Bong director-nim, love you 💕” wrote global DJ Peggy Gou on September 3 as she uploaded a photo that has since ignited major debate online.
The photo shows her at a party, smiling with acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and controversial actor Yoo Ah-in, who stands right beside Bong, grinning in a black cap.
This marks Yoo Ah-in’s first public appearance in about two months, and reactions were immediate—and intense.
Yoo Ah-in has been at the center of one of Korea’s most high-profile drug scandals. Between 2020 and 2022, he was charged with illegally receiving 181 doses of propofol under the pretense of cosmetic procedures. He was also found to have illegally obtained over 1,100 sleeping pills under other people’s names and smoked marijuana in the U.S. with others, even allegedly encouraging them to do the same.
In September last year, Yoo was sentenced to one year in prison and a ₩2 million fine in his first trial, resulting in immediate incarceration. However, the appeals court reduced his sentence to a one-year prison term with two years of probation, and he was released after five months. In July this year, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision by dismissing the prosecution’s appeal.
Still, many netizens are far from forgiving.
“Isn’t he supposed to be reflecting? Why is he partying?”
“Bong Joon-ho really standing next to him? I’m disappointed.”
“This photo sends the wrong message—celebrities get a pass for everything.”
Yet some defended the actor, saying:
“He’s served his time. Let the man breathe.”
“People don’t live in hiding forever. He’s allowed to move on.”
The divided reaction reflects a broader public debate in South Korea over how celebrities convicted of crimes, particularly drug-related offenses, should be treated once they return to public life.
As for Bong Joon-ho, the photo has raised eyebrows, with fans wondering if the acclaimed director’s appearance with Yoo was coincidental—or a quiet show of support.
Sources: 스타투데이,SNS @peggygou_
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