[Sportschosun Lee Ji-hyun] YouTuber and broadcaster Pungja publicly expressed her displeasure after false news linked a YouTube skit to her real dating history.
On the 24th, Pungja posted a screenshot on her social networking service (SNS), writing, "When did I ever say this..? What is this, combining things I said in a variety show skit with my past relationships?"
The image showed an article titled, "Pungja, breakup reason with ex-boyfriend of four years: 'He stole pottery.'" In response, Pungja asked, "Are you even watching the video before writing about it?" She added, "I know sensational headlines are used to drive clicks, but please do not create a situation that ends up hurting someone by mixing together things that never happened with things that did."
She continued, "Even when something good happened, I stayed quiet because I did not want it turned into an article and made noisy," and stressed, "Please at least follow the basics."
The controversy began with a video released on the YouTube channel 'Pungja TV' on the 22nd. That day, Pungja visited her close friend Rallal's home, drank with her, and brought up her love life during their conversation.
When Rallal jokingly asked, "Why did you break up with him?" Pungja, staying in character, quipped, "Because he stole pottery from my house." When Rallal replied, "You said he came in to get water because he was thirsty," Pungja kept the skit going to the end, saying, "It was the brief moment when I was pouring him water as a welcome drink," drawing laughter.
However, some online users connected the scene to Pungja's previously disclosed real dating history and spread it as if her ex-boyfriend of four years had broken up with her after stealing pottery.
Pungja drew a clear line against the distortion, calling it false information that mixed a variety-show setup with real experiences. She also voiced strong regret over sensational headlines and articles written without fact-checking.
Meanwhile, Pungja remains active across her YouTube channel, which has 880,000 subscribers, and television appearances. She also recently drew attention after revealing that she had lost 32 kg.
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