Han Sohee, legal action, Karina apology...Contradicting celebrity privacy invasion?

Drawing a line between fancying and invading
Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol, 'relationship transfer'?
Karina apologizes after date scandal with Lee Jae-wook

(MHNSports intern reporter Sun Shin) Celebrities live by their image. They can be loved or hated by fans based on their behavior. But who decides what behavior is lovable or hatable?

Recently, the dating news of actors Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol is the internet's hot potato. It's not just because of the two actors meeting. The speculation about a 'relationship transfer' involving Ryu Jun-yeol's ex-girlfriend, Hyeri, is the center of the attention.

Ryu Jun-yeol had previously been in a public relationship with Hyeri for eight years before breaking up and proceeding to his next relationship with Han So-hee. There are suspicions that they had started seeing each other before the breakup, further fueled by Hyeri's cryptic social media post with a single word "interesting", as if to throw shade on the new couple. 

Both Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol have acknowledged their relationship but denied any relationship transfer. However, they are still facing cyberbullying from the etizens. Consequently, the agencies of both actors have indicated that they will take legal action against all cyberbullying actions. 

As the controversy escalated, Hyeri apologized on social media on March 18th, saying, "I sincerely apologize for the speculation and controversy caused by my personal emotions over the past few days. I didn't fully consider the impact of my every action. I would like to express my deep apology to anyone who has been harmed by my actions."

Before this incident, Aespa's member Karina received protests from fans after news of her scandal with actor Lee Jae-wook was reported, and had no choice but to apologize to her furious fans. 

Some fans even sent a truck to SM Entertainment's building to protest, and a number of fans declared that they were exiting the fandom. Lee Jae-wook was also another target just because he had feelings for Karina. 

Following the incident, Karina sincerely apologized to the fans, saying she would become more mature and not disappoint her dans anymore. Furthermore, she sought to calm the situation with a handwritten apology letter to her fans.

The question here is: what did these celebrities do to deserve the cyberbullying they had to endure?

Firstly, Karina had no reason to be criticized. If anything, she might have been slightly neglectful towards her fans. But how can one hide feelings of love? Shouldn't true fans support even the love lives of their stars?

If Ryu Jun-yeol and Han So-hee indeed had a relationship transfer, they might be criticized for their morality and trustworthiness. South Korea expects high moral standards from public figures, and relationship transfers are a deal-breaker even among non-public figures.

However, this is strictly the actors' private lives. Whether or not there were issues during their breakup, it's something for the parties involved to resolve. It is inappropriate for fans to demand explanations or apologies for a happening that they do not know the truth about. 

From the fans' perspective, they might want to criticize their beloved actors or defend them against others. It is true that celebrities must tolerate some level of scrutiny. But if there's no legal wrongdoing and the facts are not yet confirmed, indiscriminate criticism should be moderated.

With the rise of online media, especially social media, every move of celebrities attracts more and more attention. Some celebrities share their daily lives and engage in public disputes, exacerbating the situation.

Nonetheless, the recent incidents suggest that the intrusion into celebrities' private lives is excessively intrusive. Even though celebrities rely on public popularity and interest, there's a need to respect the boundaries of their private lives, to prevent someone from being hurt or making irreversible decisions before it's too late.