[Sportschosun reporter Kim Jun-seok] Kim Hyun-ji, a PD at MBC Gyeongnam who publicly criticized RESCENE member Won-i over her use of the expression "museunno," has come under intense backlash.
The controversy deepened after subtitles using the same "-no" ending were found in a program she had previously worked on, sparking accusations of hypocrisy. She eventually set her social media account to private.
The dispute began with a YouTube video released by RESCENE on the 28th of last month.
During the shoot, a PD on site said, "There was a rattling sound here. What is it? That's scary, no." Won-i replied, "Scary, no. The lighting is scary enough already."
Kim Hyun-ji later referred to the clip on her SNS, writing, "I watched a well-received YouTube clip, and a female idol and a PD were casually trading 'no-no' endings. I was very upset."
She went on to criticize Won-i's remark publicly, saying, "Even though Gyeongsang dialect researchers have repeatedly pointed out that this usage is ungrammatical, young people are naturally using the awkward '-no' ending."
However, the situation reversed after subtitles using the '-no' ending were found in the MBC Gyeongnam variety program "Yap! Vitality Heaven," where Kim had previously worked as an assistant director.
The program reportedly included several Gyeongsang dialect expressions such as "What are you saying?", "Where would I have had the time to hear something like that back then?", and "What kind of crime did that guy commit to come here like that?"
Online reactions followed, with users saying, "She criticized someone else's expression but used the same one in a program she worked on," "Isn't that a double standard?" and "It is hard to avoid accusations of hypocrisy."
The controversy spread into politics, and posts demanding disciplinary action and an official apology from Kim also began appearing on the MBC Gyeongnam viewer board, widening the fallout.
As criticism mounted, Kim Hyun-ji eventually set her SNS account to private.
narusi@sportschosun.com
