Controversy is swirling around South Korean politician Jang Ye-chan after a fanfiction he authored years ago allegedly referenced singer IU in a lewd manner.
Jang is a 34-year-old candidate for the head position of the youth division in South Korea’s conservative People Power Party (PPP).
His web novel, titled “Gangnam Huata,” was published between 2015-2016 and resurfaced on Sunday, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
His novel centers around a doctor who helps patients recover through sexual intercourse.
One female character in the novel is a singer named Lee Ji-eun, the legal birth name of K-pop artist IU. The novel character Ji-eun is “unable to sing high notes due to vocal cord nodules.”
IU fans and fellow PPP candidate Lee Ki-in have criticized Jang’s novel and alleged sexualization of the artist.
Jang responded to the controversy with a statement on his Facebook.
Did I use obscenities in my essay like Tak Hyun-min, or did I sexually harass female celebrities in my comments like Lee Jae-myung’s son? What kind of movie, drama, webtoon, or novel can be made if the problem is the content of a fantasy novel. Are all directors, writers, and actors who make or appear in movies or dramas now social troublemakers? Should writers of webtoons and web novels be criticized for the content of their work? If people die in novels and movies, does that make the author a mass murderer, and if there’s a bed scene, does that mean there’s a problem with gender sensitivity?
He concluded by declaring, “I am proud of my history as a web novel and webtoon writer, and I will break new ground against the prejudices of politicians against the arts and culture.”
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