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South Korea is having an election soon, and K-Pop idols and celebrities are being more cautious in their actions during this season.
K-Pop idols and celebrities garner so much publicity during the elections. It is expected for them to maintain political neutrality, and if not, it can create controversy. Recently, aespa member Karina was also involved in controversy when she posted a picture of herself in a red jacket with the number 2 written on it. She then deleted the post.
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South Korea differs from the United States, where celebrities do not hesitate to go public with whom they support. Such political statements, which are in some cases regarded as celebrity power, consist of celebrity endorsements such as Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, who openly support Democratic candidates on social media.
Here are five things K-Pop idols and celebrities are advised not to do during the election season in South Korea.
5 Things K-Pop Idols And Celebrities Cannot Do During Elections
갑자기 어떤 남자 손이 날아옴 pic.twitter.com/W8B4GDAWSH
— 쿠른 (@cooleun01) May 28, 2025
1. Avoid the V sign (peace sign)
The V sign (peace sign) is one of the frequent hand positions adopted by celebrities and K-pop idols in photographs and in live performances but may be misunderstood during election season.
The number 2 in the ballot sheet and the color red are associated with the conservative People Power Party. The V sign closely resembles the number 2, and therefore its use would be interpreted as a sign of approval for the party.
To avoid misunderstanding, idols currently extend a clenched fist or other harmless hand sign rather than the peace sign. The cautious behavior of K-pop idols and celebrities is indicative of how even the most harmless sign is able to become imbued with unintended political meaning in unstable situations.
2. Wear Politically Neutral Clothing
Each of Korea's political parties also has its own color: red for the People Power Party, blue for the Democratic Party, and yellow and green for the Green Justice Party. Therefore, K-Pop idols and celebrities typically avoid wearing these shades during the election season so as not to be associated with political parties.
The agencies typically instruct their artists to wear plain colors like white, black, gray, or beige. The same is also communicated to the fashion stylists in order to prevent miscommunication that can cause public anger.
3. Vote, but do it privately.
K-Pop idols and celebrities are role models in Korea as well. Not voting at all to avoid bias can be done, but it tends to make things controversial. It can be interpreted as a sign of indifference and lack of responsibility as a citizen if one doesn't vote.
Instead, K-Pop idols and celebrities are encouraged to vote but in the absence of revealing their political preferences. They can post a picture indicating that they voted, such as a voting booth picture or a sticker stating that they voted, but without divulging endorsements and political views.
This allows them to serve their civic function but maintain the neutrality needed from public representatives.
4. Avoid Publicly Expressing Views on Feminism
Being a feminist in Korea is often misinterpreted as political. Generally, feminism is a sensitive topic, especially for girl groups, because most of their fans are men.
There were also past cases where idols were criticized for admiring feminist content online or for reading feminist literature about women's issues. For this reason, agencies tend to advise idols to refrain from giving comments on or linking themselves to feminist issues, particularly in times of politically charged circumstances.
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