Actress Park Bo Young has responded after facing intense online backlash for not speaking out about South Korea's recent ballot shortage controversy and the protests at the Jamsil vote-counting center.
Her brief reply, shared through a fan communication platform on June 7, 2026 (KST), quickly spread online and sparked even more heated reactions.
The controversy began after reports that several polling stations in Seoul, including areas in Gangnam, Gwangjin, and Songpa, ran out of ballots during the June 3 local elections, Koreaboo reported. Some voters were forced to wait, while others were unable to vote.
In Songpa's Jamsil 7-dong, protests followed, with demonstrators blocking the removal of ballot boxes and demanding a new election. The situation grew more tense near the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, the vote-counting center for the area.
Amid growing criticism toward public figures, Park Bo Young's social media accounts were flooded with comments demanding she speak out.
Some users referenced her past support for political protests, arguing that she should take a similar stance on the current issue. Others accused her of being inconsistent in her public engagement.
🔥 Park Bo-young called protesters 'weirdos' — now her Instagram is a war zone.
— The Signal 📡 (@signal_daily_) June 7, 2026
Fans turned haters flooded her comments with abuse, calling her a 'leftist wh*re.'.
Is this justified backlash or cancel culture gone too far? #ParkBoYoung #Kdrama #Kpop pic.twitter.com/MywSOTIBC6
Park Bo Young Faces Backlash
According to KPopHit, in response, Park addressed fans directly, writing, "I like you guys a lot, too. Have a good day today," offering a calm message amid the online tension. She later added that she was not bothered by the criticism, referring to some commenters in blunt terms.
"Haha. I only realized after seeing bubble messages about it. What a bunch of weirdos. Don't worry about it. (I'm just not that affected by them...)" — Park Bo Young
Her comments did not reduce the backlash. Instead, more users continued to leave hostile messages, criticizing her for not addressing the issue publicly. Some demanded that she comment on the ballot shortage, while others accused celebrities of "selective justice" based on which protests they support.
The situation has also drawn attention because other celebrities, including IU, Lee Dong Wook, and Girls' Generation's Yuri, have reportedly faced similar demands from online users to take a public stance or show support related to the protests.
