"Protecting celebrities" vs "Excessive criticism": The controversy surrounding Jung Jun-won sparks heated debate, with shields from Gong Hyo-jin and Haha failing to quell the discussion [★NEWSing]

*This content was translated by AI.

Controversy over actor Jung Jun-won's behavior on variety shows continues to persist. Despite public support from fellow celebrities including Gong Hyo-jin, Haha, and Kim Hyun-sook, public opinion remains divided.

On the 4th, Gong Hyo-jin shared a photo of Jung Jun-won, who appeared alongside her on MBC's variety program "What Do You Do When You're Bored?" on her personal account, writing, "The husband who actually vomited after filming. I couldn't save him. I'm sorry."

This conveyed Jung Jun-won's state during his first variety show recording, where he experienced extreme nervousness.

Previously, Jung Jun-won appeared on the January 1st broadcast of "What Do You Do When You're Bored?" alongside Gong Hyo-jin to promote MBC's Saturday-Sunday drama "Married Woman Killer."

However, as Jung Jun-won struggled to answer questions easily, hesitated, and failed to respond actively, some viewers criticized his attitude as insincere.

As the controversy grew, fellow cast members and actors who recorded alongside him began defending him one after another.

Haha, a fixed member of "What Do You Do When You're Bored?", commented on his SNS post: "I was there at the scene. He was so lovely, cute, and fun." He added, "This is a difficult program even for professional entertainers in their first variety show. Please view him kindly."

Kim Hyun-sook also spoke up, saying, "How has the world become like this? They appeared because promotion was needed, and they likely did their best. You shouldn't criticize instead of blaming if it didn't go as you wished."

However, despite such support from colleagues, online public opinion remains unresolved.

Some netizens defended Jung Jun-won, stating, "He was just nervous because it was his first variety show; why are they pushing him so hard?" "Please stop the malicious comments," and "If he was so nervous he almost vomited, I can understand."

Conversely, others argued, "The way celebrities protect each other only fuels resentment," "Viewers take time to watch broadcasts, so they might feel uncomfortable," and "Instead of having others explain on his behalf, if he had simply said, 'I was nervous and fell short. I'll show a better image next time,' the controversy wouldn't have escalated this much."

While Jung Jun-won himself has not issued any statement since the controversy began, opposing views continue to clash: some claim that the successive defenses by those around him are fueling the controversy further, while others argue that excessive criticism toward a first-time variety show participant should be restrained.

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*This content was translated by AI.