Chinese netizens outraged at K-pop star Lee Hyori’s ‘belittling’ Mao comment, while fans jump to her defence
- Lee Hyori suggested using Mao as her stage name on a TV show, enraging Chinese netizens
- They accuse her of belittling Mao Zedong, but Hyori’s supporters argue he is not the only Mao in China
By Dong Sun-hwa
South Korean singer Lee Hyori has come under fire from Chinese netizens for allegedly ridiculing former Communist Party leader Mao Zedong.
Lee, a member of new K-pop girl group Refund Expedition formed on the reality show Hangout with Yoo, appeared on the programme on Saturday and discussed her musical activities with the show’s host, comedian Yoo Jae-suk.
While they were talking about Lee’s Refund Expedition stage name, the singer said: “What about a Chinese name? We can go global with it. How about ‘Mao’?”
“Why do you play a joke with a great man of another country?” one Chinese user posted on Lee’s Instagram, which has been bombarded with more than 100,000 negative comments over two days.
Another wrote, “Learn to respect others.”
Ahead of new single Dynamite, BTS’ J-Hope donates money to help poor children in South Korea hit by Covid-19 crisis
But many South Koreans said Lee did not intent to insult anyone and that Chinese netizens had stretched the meaning of her words.
“Lee did not use any belittling terms, but merely talked about her stage name,” one South Korean netizen wrote. “Is Mao a surname only for Mao Zedong?” reads another comment.
The singer has not commented on the issue.
Lee began her singing career as a member of the girl group Fin.K.L in 1998 with the album Blue Rain. She made her solo debut in 2003 and rose to stardom with a smash-hit 10 Minutes. She also featured in several popular shows including JTBC’s Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast (Hyori’s Homestay) in 2017-18.