"Excuse for Ha Jung-woo's wedding, rejected" vs. "Don't curse over a child's matter" — Debate erupts over Kim Yong-gyun and Choi Bul-am's absence from the wake [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As news emerged that actor Kim Yong-gyun was unable to visit the wake of the late Choi Bul-am due to his eldest son, Ha Jung-woo (real name Kim Seong-hoon), having an upcoming wedding, a heated debate has arisen among netizens.

'National Actor' Choi Bul-am passed away around 10 p.m. on the 29th of last month at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, while receiving inpatient treatment. He was 87 years old.

As a major star of the entertainment industry departed, a line of colleagues and juniors continued to visit the late man's wake to pay their respects.

Baek Il-seop, who had worked together on the national drama "Jeonwon Ilgi" (Country Diary), also visited the late man's wake. In particular, after finishing his condolences, he drew attention by conveying to reporters the reason why his colleague Kim Yong-gyun did not visit the wake. Kim Yong-gyun has a connection with Choi Bul-am as they acted together in "Jeonwon Ilgi," where Kim played Choi's son.

Baek Il-seop stated, "(Kim) Yong-gyun should have come too, but his son (Ha Jung-woo) is getting married next month, isn't he? He called me," adding, "So (I) told him not to come."

Ha Jung-woo, Kim Yong-gyun's eldest son, is set to marry influencer Cha Jeong-won, who is 11 years his junior, in a wedding ceremony on December 13.

It is true that there has long been a custom of refraining from visiting funeral homes when one's own family or close relatives have happy occasions such as weddings or pregnancies. In fact, Kim Yong-gyun himself stated to Yonhap News Agency on the 1st, "Due to advice from those around me that 'it is best not to go to a funeral home before a family event,' I was unavoidably unable to pay my respects. My feelings are indescribably heavy because I could not see him off as he departed."

However, netizens have been casting unkind glances at this situation. Negative reactions included comments such as: "He's a bit shrewd. It's not like the dates are right next to each other, so it feels off," "There is still about a month left until (Ha Jung-woo's wedding)," "The wedding isn't tomorrow but next month, and besides, it's not just anyone—shouldn't Kim Yong-gyun come? He played the eldest son in 'Jeonwon Ilgi,'" "It's just superstition," "Selfish superstition," "I'd understand if it were a few days later, but 45 days later? That seems like just an excuse," "In foreign countries, people would find it ridiculous not to visit a wake for this reason. Only Korea makes a fuss over it. It's just superstition," "It would have been so much better if the news was that he came despite everything. Really, what a person," "What are people who go to church but believe in superstition?" and "The wedding is more than a month away, and since he has passed away now, I can only understand it as meaning there is no lingering attachment."

On the other hand, there were also many voices respecting Kim Yong-gyun's choice, such as: "Oh, cut him some slack," "Superstitions passed down from old times exist for a reason. Just like the word 'ghost' has been around since ancient times without cause. Better safe than sorry," "In the old days, everyone did it. At his age, an elder believing in such things is natural in a way. That's why people around him just let it be," "It seems like those who are not married are leaving all the bad comments," "Unmarried people should keep quiet," "Elders believe in such things, even if they might be superstitions," "Whether to go or not is up to the person themselves. It shouldn't be forced," "There's a lot of talk about whether it matches or not, but he isn't going to live on their behalf anyway," "Older people believe in such things. What elders say is often more accurate than one might think," and "Don't curse. It's his son's matter."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original