Entertainment Industry Encourages Voter Participation Ahead of Local Elections

On June 3, as local elections approached, the entertainment industry continued its efforts to encourage voter participation. Stars shared selfies of their early voting and urged their followers to vote, while discussions about the political implications of social media posts and clothing colors emerged, creating a cautious atmosphere.

Jin of BTS, who recently returned to Korea after performing in Las Vegas as part of their world tour 'ARIRANG,' cast his vote at the third polling station in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Actors So Yoo-jin and Yoon Jong-hoon, broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu, and musical couple Kim So-hyun and Son Jun-ho, along with actors Jin Tae-hyun and Park Si-eun, also shared photos of their voting experiences, encouraging participation with messages like "Vote completed," "Everyone, please vote," and "Let’s share our precious votes."

During the early voting period, participation from the entertainment sector continued. Singer Lee Seung-hwan, actress Kim Gyu-ri, and singer-actor Harisu posted their early voting selfies on their personal social media accounts on May 29 and 30. Members of the group Cortis, Martin and Joo-hoon, as well as If I members Won Hwa-yeon, Tae-rin, Ra-hee, and Kasia, also participated in early voting and shared their photos. Notably, Martin and Joo-hoon, both born in 2008 and voting for the first time, posted a photo holding their early voting confirmation on Weverse, expressing, "We’re adults now."
Broadcaster Park Myung-soo discussed the importance of voting on his radio show. On May 29, during KBS Cool FM's 'Park Myung-soo's Radio Show,' he stated, "Voting is a duty that we must fulfill as citizens," and urged listeners to choose someone who can help the country prosper.

Alongside the push for voter participation, incidents related to social media posts during the election season continued. On May 30, singer Lee Young-ji posted a recent photo with her hair dyed red and wearing a red shirt, accompanied by the song 'RED RED' by Cortis. After some online users suggested that the post evoked the colors of a specific political party, Lee Young-ji deleted the post.

The following day, she apologized on social media, saying, "I uploaded a story that was not timely, and I understand it surprised many. I was aware of the importance of the timing but let my desire to communicate take precedence over that."

Promise Nine's Baek Ji-heon also appeared conscious of her outfit's color during a live broadcast on the first day of early voting. Wearing a dark blue top, she remarked, "It’s election season, right?" and changed into a darker outfit to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
Every election season, the colors of celebrities' outfits, hand gestures, and numbers are often interpreted politically. For instance, a past photo of Koyote's Shin Ji making a V sign circulated as a show of support for a specific candidate, and Aespa's Karina faced controversy for wearing a red jumper with the number 2. As similar interpretations arise during each election, some celebrities have shown caution regarding their social media posts and outfit colors during this election period.

The 9th nationwide local elections took place on June 3 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting was conducted over two days, on May 29 and 30.