Thoughts on kangin's DUI charges?

lawlietta in General | 18 Oct 2009 - 03:30 PM

If you thought that the Kangin DUI case was cooling down after his official apology, agreement to revisit the police and guilty/dejected mood, think again - netizens are still heating up over this issue. While ELFs have risen to defend their beloved Super Junior member, other netizens are still steaming over Kangin's hit-and-run incident. And forget about the fact that Kangin broke the law and risked the lives of others - netizens are pissed because Kangin has failed to uphold his idol image due to the assault case and drunk hit-and-run controversy.

The two sides are past simply debating and have moved on to the ever-so-trendy & productive petition method to get things done. The ELFs have taken a position of support, asking Koreans for forgiveness on behalf of Kangin. Although the petition acknowledges that the singer has done wrong, it argues that he is human and victim to mistakes. Despite the participants' widespread forgiveness, there is no official consensus on whether Kangin deserves punishment or not; in fact, some participants believe in forgiving and emotionally supporting Kangin but still think that he deserves full punishment.

On the other hand, other netizens refuse to condone Kangin's mistakes and seek to not only punish him by law, but cripple his career with SM Entertainment as well. The petition on Agora (Daum) argues that banning Kangin or simply removing him from Super Junior altogether is necessary. Though this may seem like a drastic stance, the petition is aiming for 10,000 signatures.

Two words: dj vu. I don't think I even need to name the other celebrity I'm referring to.

These aren't the only two petitions that have sprung up - others on Daum are gathering to lobbying for the CCTV from the assault case to be released to the public to prove that Kangin was acting out of self-defense and should not be blamed for this incident.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but in this case, I can't help but be exasperated with the netizens' self-appointed right to determine Kangin's future, especially on such a questionable motive (maintaining his idol image). As a citizen, Kangin undoubtedly needs to own up to his actions; as an idol, his actions affect not only those around him but people all over Korea. However, with all of the media coverage and fan pandemonium, people seem to forget that Kangin is ultimately a citizen of his country and should be treated as such on both sides of the spectrum - yes, no one should turn a blind eye to his actions simply due to his idol status, but that doesn't constitute a punishment more severe than any other citizen. Leave legal punishment to the government and contract discussion to SM Entertainment.

All of these petitions are still premature & haven't grown to Jaebeom proportions yet, and it's unlikely that any of their pleas will come to fruition simply due to an online fan petition. However, as we've learned from past incidents, petitions have the unprecedented power of uniting fans under beliefs both positive and harmful. Let's hope that this situation stays under control. Stay tuned to allkpop for (hopefully positive) updates on this controversy.