[Exclusive]'Museum of Fear' Lee Seunghyun's 'Museonno' Controversy: Kim Si-deok Says No Political Intent.. "I Want to Make Both Left and Right Laugh" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Comedian Kim Si-deok clarified his stance amid controversy over Lee Seunghyun of the girl group Le Sserafim's use of the term 'Museonno', emphasizing that he had no political intent whatsoever and stating, "I want to make both the left and right laugh."

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 6th, Kim Si-deok said regarding reactions to his SNS post, "Most people seem to think we shouldn't frame something obvious," adding, "Those who are too immersed in politics continue to fight each other, but people like us who simply live our lives hard seem to just accept it as is."

Lee Seunghyun, originally from Geoje, Gyeongnam Province, recently found herself embroiled in an unexpected controversy involving 'Ilbe' (a far-right online community) after using a regional dialect. Kim Hyun-ji, the director of the documentary film 'Adult Kim Jang-ha', pointed out on her SNS on the 1st that Lee's use of the expression 'Museonno' in YouTube content constituted an 'Ilbe-style hate speech,' sparking heated debate online. The political sphere also joined the controversy, further inflaming the situation.

In response, Kim Si-deok, originally from Ulsan, posted on his SNS on the 5th supporting Lee Seunghyun with a message affirming that the expression was indeed part of Gyeongsang-do dialect. His argument is that labeling it as 'Ilbe-style speech' simply because the sentence ends with 'no' is an excessive interpretation.

Kim Si-deok's post received both supportive and critical comments. However, he admitted he felt no burden about posting it. Kim calmly stated, "I'm not even a particularly famous person right now, nor do I have enough influence to cause harm to anyone through such blanket attacks."

He also said he doesn't care much about some of the critical comments. He explained, "I try not to pay attention. If I engage with those people, it will only lead to arguments. Whether on SNS or elsewhere, I'd prefer to communicate with people who have known me for a long time. It's not my style to enjoy arguing with strangers. When I post something, I hope people just think, 'Ah, that's how they see it.' I don't want to get swept up unnecessarily."

He also drew a clear line regarding political intent. He said, "I have absolutely no such intention. Since both the left and right are Korean people, I want to make them all laugh. Why would I deliberately reveal my political leanings? I have no thought of being insulted by one side or gaining advantage from the other."

Following his SNS post, requests also came in for him to repost his past 'Dialect Ability Assessment' content, but he laughed and replied, "It doesn't get many views."

Kim Si-deok previously gained great popularity through the 'Regional Dialect' segment of KBS 2TV's comedy program 'Gag Concert.' He particularly became a household name with the catchphrase 'I'll bear your child even if I'm not married,' which featured a Gyeongsang-do-style proposal.

Regarding the controversy over whether 'Museonno' is actually a Gyeongsang-do dialect expression, Kim Si-deok explained that usage can vary by generation and region.

Kim Si-deok said, "The dialect known to teenagers differs from that used by people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. That's why some say 'this isn't a dialect,' while others insist, 'We've been using it for a long time.' Accents and words also vary slightly from town to town."

He continued, "During my active years, I studied many dialectology resources and related books while performing dialect comedy. While I'm aware of regional differences, most ordinary people don't know these details. That's why I posted on SNS, even if it seemed presumptuous. If experts in local culture or native language explained it, I believe they would gain more trust." He spoke humbly.

Kim Si-deok also expressed concern that the current controversy is being excessively politicized.

He said, "Would an idol who is just rising to fame deliberately use such an expression knowing a PD was right there? Wouldn't any reasonable person find that suspicious?" He pointed out, "The problem lies with those who try to frame, attack, slander, and fight no matter what."

He added, "I also received many insults via direct messages. I was told things like ' 모 ' and 'Who do you think you are to act so boldly?' He said, "I do not respond. Engaging in conversation would only lead to a fight." Finally, he remarked, "It seems that nowadays, people pick any small issue to start a fight and seem to enjoy it when they get scratched," adding, "I find it regrettable that the era of hatred is becoming increasingly severe."

Meanwhile, on the 5th, Kim Si-deok posted on his SNS: "The world asks 'Museonno?' I was born and raised in Gyeongsang-do, living carelessly using dialect without any thought. But when I started earning money by using Gyeongsang-do dialect, I searched for many dialect-related materials and books. The 'Museonno' used by Lee Seunghyun is indeed an interrogative sentence-ending particle. Since some people started labeling anyone using the '-no' dialect as Ilbe members, I replied with phrases like 'Mwora-no, Wai-ka-no, Ilbe ida'."

He further explained, "If you delve deeper into Gyeongsang-do dialect, for example, 'Is there?' and 'Is there not?' are expressed differently: in North Gyeongsang Province as 'Inni-kkyeo? Eop-ni-kkyeo?', and in South Gyeongsang Province as 'Iseu-yeo? Eop-seu-yeo?'. Going even deeper, dialects differ even among metropolitan areas like Busan-Ulsan-Daegu (BUD). Digging further still, small towns like Masan-Changwon-Jinhae and Geoje-Tongyeong-Namhae also have distinct dialects. Even the dialect used by grandparents differs from that used by younger generations today."

Kim Si-deok particularly emphasized, "Accents are fading away, words are being forgotten, and even sentence-ending particles are becoming vague. I believe dialect is a precious cultural asset of our country."

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*This content was translated by AI.