[Exclusive]'Museum of Fear' Wony of Le Sserafim Encases Kim Si-deok: "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 Le Sserafim member Wony's "Museum of Fear" remark, 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, 'Let's not frame something obvious,' while those overly immersed in politics continue to fight each other. However, people like us who are just trying hard to live our daily lives tend to simply accept it as is."

Wony, originally from Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do, 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 Wony's use of the expression "Museum of Fear" in her YouTube content constituted an "Ilbe-style hate speech," sparking heated online debate. The political sphere also joined the controversy, further inflaming the situation.

In response, Kim Si-deok, originally from Ulsan, defended Wony on his SNS on the 5th with a post stating that her use of dialect was indeed correct. His argument is that labeling her speech as "Ilbe-style" simply because she added "-no" at the end of sentences 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. Calmly, he said, "I'm not even a particularly famous person right now, so I don't have enough influence to cause harm to anyone through such blanket attacks."

He also stated that he is not greatly bothered by some of the critical comments. He explained, "I try not to pay attention. Engaging in conversation with such people only leads to arguments. Whether on SNS or elsewhere, I prefer to communicate with those who have known me for a long time. It's not my style to enjoy quarreling with strangers. When I post something, I'd appreciate it if people would just think, 'Ah, that's how they see it.' I don't intend to get swept up unnecessarily."

He also drew a clear line regarding political intent. He emphasized, "I have absolutely no such intention. Since both the left and right are Korean people, I want to make everyone laugh. Why would I deliberately reveal any political bias? 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 Evaluation" content, but he laughed and replied, "It doesn't get many views."

Kim Si-deok previously gained immense 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 give you my child even if I have to bear it," which featured a Gyeongsang-do-style proposal.

Regarding the controversy over whether "Museum of Fear" is an actual Gyeongsang-do dialect, Kim Si-deok explained that expressions can vary depending on generation and region.

Kim Si-deok said, "The dialect known by 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 counter, 'We've been using it for ages.' Additionally, accents and words vary slightly even between small towns."

He continued, "During my active years, I studied many dialectology resources and related books while performing dialect comedy. While I am aware of regional differences, the general public doesn't easily grasp such nuances. That's why I posted on SNS, even if it seemed presumptuous. If experts in local culture or native language could explain these matters, their explanations would likely be more trustworthy." He spoke humbly.

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

He remarked, "Would an up-and-coming idol deliberately use such expressions to create controversy in front of a PD? Wouldn't any reasonable person find it strange?" He pointed out, "The problem lies with those who try to frame, attack, slander, and fight regardless."

He added, "I received many insults via direct messages. People even called me ' 모 ' (a distorted insult) and said, 'Who do you think you are to act so boldly?' I don't respond because engaging in conversation only leads to fights. Finally, he noted, "It seems like nowadays, people grab onto any small detail to start a fight and enjoy it as if they've been scratched. It's regrettable that the era of hatred is becoming increasingly severe."

Meanwhile, on the 5th, Kim Si-deok revealed on his SNS: "The world asks me, 'Museum of Fear?' I was born and raised in Gyeongsang-do, living carelessly using dialect. Later, when I started earning money by using Gyeongsang-do dialect, I searched extensively for many dialect-related materials and books. Wony of Le Sserafim used 'Museum of Fear' correctly as an interrogative sentence-ending particle. Since some people began labeling anyone using the '-no' dialect as part of Ilbe, I responded with phrases like 'What-no,' 'Why-no,' and 'Ilbe idiot.'"

He further explained, "Even within Gyeongsang-do dialects, deeper investigation reveals differences. For example, for 'Is there?' or 'Is there not?', in Gyeongbuk it's 'In-ni-kkyeo? Eop-ni-kkyeo?', while in Gyeongnam it's 'Iseo-yeo? Eopseo-yeo?' Digging even deeper, dialects differ even among metropolitan areas like Busan-Ulsan-Daegu (BUD). Going further still, small towns like Ma-Chang-Jin (Masan, Changwon, Jinhae) and Geoje-Tongyeong-Namhae also have distinct dialects. Even the dialects used by grandparents differ from those used by younger generations today."

Kim Si-deok particularly raised his voice, stating, "Only accents remain while words are forgotten, and even sentence-ending particles are fading. I believe dialects are precious cultural assets of our country."

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*This content was translated by AI.