A Japan travel video posted by actress Ji So-yeon ahead of March 1 Independence Movement Day has drawn backlash that also spilled over to actress Yang Mi-ra, who said she was being misunderstood.
Yang wrote on social media on Monday that many people seemed worried or confused after seeing news reports that used her photo and name. “I only went to film in early February,” she wrote, adding, “It’s not my channel.”
She said she struggled to accept the sudden situation and felt she could do nothing as stories poured out. “It made me realize this can happen even when you haven’t done anything,” she wrote, calling it unfair and frustrating. She added that she decided to speak up because staying silent felt like it would make her sick.
The controversy began after a video titled “From today I’m a free woman!! (Japan trip with unni Yang Mi-ra)” was uploaded to Ji’s YouTube channel on Feb. 28. Some online commenters criticized the timing, saying it was posted a day before March 1.
As criticism grew, Ji posted on social media on Sunday that the video documented a trip taken Feb. 11, but she failed to think deeply enough about what the posting date could mean. She said she felt heavy-hearted that criticism was also being directed at Yang, and said the upload schedule and decision to make it public were entirely her own.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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