[Sportschosun Park A-ram reporter] Chinese broadcaster Zhang Yuan has shared an update for the first time in about two years.
On the 17th, Zhang Yuan posted several new profile photos on his personal account along with a brief message that read, "Long time no see." In the released photos, he posed in front of the camera in a neat outfit pairing a white jacket with a black inner layer, and showed a more mature mood with expressions ranging from neutral to smiling.
The post drew attention from fans as it was his first update since July 2024.
Zhang Yuan rose to fame through JTBC's variety show "Non-Summit" and became widely popular in Korea. He later continued his career by appearing on various entertainment programs, including "Where Is My Friend's Home" and "Hero Three Kingdoms."
However, he came under intense criticism in 2024 after remarks about Korean and Chinese culture and history during a live broadcast, and he stopped his activities in Korea.
At the time, he said he wanted to find out whether Korea had stolen Chinese culture and announced a street interview project. He mentioned the Dragon Boat Festival, Confucius, and Chinese characters, saying he would check how Koreans viewed them. He also fueled controversy by visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace dressed as an emperor from the Ming and Song dynasties and saying, "It will feel like an emperor inspecting a vassal state." Criticism continued after he also claimed that most Koreans are descended from Chinese people and argued that IVE's music video and performance schedule reminded him of China's painful history.
After the controversy, Zhang Yuan said his remarks had been reported only in part and were being portrayed differently from what he intended. He stated that his consistent view was that relations between the two countries' people should improve, and said he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. But later that same year, he again became the center of controversy after releasing additional footage of himself wearing Chinese imperial attire and walking through the city. Since then, his activities in Korea have effectively come to a halt.
Attention is now on whether Zhang Yuan, who has resumed activity on social media after about two years, will return to the public eye following this update.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
