Why was Miss Korea boycotted just one night after being crowned?
Miss Korea Kim Se Yeon's father is the director of an entertainment company. Mr. Kim was sentenced to 2 years of suspended prison for abusing members of the band The East Light.
On the evening of July 11, 20-year-old beauty Kim Se Yeon was crowned Miss Korea 2019 and received much praise from the public. At the same time, some suspicions surrounding her family background also appeared online.
On July 12, Korean media announced that the new beauty queen is the youngest daughter of Media Line Entertainment CEO Kim Chang Hwan.
Information about the family background of the new Miss Korea has angered the public. Just one day after being crowned, Kim Se Yeon went from being a supported beauty to being hated and boycotted.
The main reason why the public turned their backs on the 20-year-old girl was because her father, Mr. Kim Chang Hwan, was recently sentenced to 2 years of probation for child abuse. The incident involving the beauty queen's father is considered one of the most serious scandals in the entertainment industry in 2018.
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| New Miss Korea Kim Se Yeon is hated by the public because of her father's child abuse case. |
The incident broke out on October 18, 2018, when Korean media reported that the group The East Light was physically and mentally abused by CEO Kim Chang Hwan and music producer Moon Yong Il from 2015 to 2018. It is worth mentioning that the group members are all minors, the oldest born in 2000 and the youngest born in 2003.
A day later, Lee Seok Chul - leader of The East Light and a victim of the abuse - held a press conference to describe the whole incident. According to Lee, producer Moon Young Il often beat the group members with baseball bats and guitar strings.
Lee Seok Chul revealed that he and his fellow members were often locked in a closed room and brutally beaten. Producer Moon Young Il even strangled a member with a guitar string because he disobeyed him.
According to Lee Seok Chul, CEO Kim Chang Hwan knew about the violent behavior but did not stop it. Lee Seok Chul revealed that Mr. Kim repeatedly assisted Moon Young Il in beating artists in the company.
Also at the press conference, the victim of the abuse presented evidence in the form of photos showing serious injuries to her head, chest, and thighs. Lee's parents also revealed a recording of a conversation with CEO Kim Chang Hwan, in which Kim was threatening the victim's family to withdraw the lawsuit.
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| Lee Seok Chul - the victim of the abuse - burst into tears at a press conference accusing Mr. Kim Chang Hwan and producer Moon Young Il. |
The incident has caused a wave of outrage in Korean public opinion in particular and Asia in general. On December 20, 2018, producer Moon was arrested on charges of child abuse. Meanwhile, Mr. Kim was also prosecuted for violating the provisions of the Child Welfare Act.
Nearly a year after the incident broke out, on July 5, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced producer Moon Young Il to two years in prison for child abuse and sentenced Mr. Kim to two years in prison, suspended. As for Kim Chang Hwan, if he continues to violate the Child Welfare Act during his probation, he will have to serve eight months in prison.
The verdict has not really satisfied the Korean public. Many opinions say that the sentences given to Kim and Moon are too light compared to the physical and mental damage they caused to the victims.
Because of the child abuse case of Mr. Kim Chang Hwan, the new Miss Kim Se Yeon was hated and turned away by the public. Online, many opinions said that the 20-year-old beauty did not deserve to receive the highest title in the national beauty contest.
