K-pop Star Former IZ*ONE Member Lee Chaeyeon Criticized by Key Figure in South Korea’s Political Scandal—Here’s Why

Former IZ*ONE member Lee Chaeyeon sparked controversy after making comments related to candlelight protests calling for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment.

Her remarks were met with sharp criticism from Jung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Seo-won (formerly known as Choi Soon-sil), a key figure in South Korea’s political corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

On December 7, during a fan interaction, Lee addressed the recent dismissal of President Yoon’s impeachment motion due to insufficient votes. Responding to criticism that she should not discuss politics as an entertainer, Lee said, “What position qualifies someone to talk about politics? As a citizen, I’ll speak up whenever I want. As an artist, my voice matters too. Thank you for your concern, but let’s work toward a better world where we can live and love freely.”

The next day, Jung Yoo-ra took to Facebook to share a news article about Lee’s comments and fired back, saying, “It’s true that position doesn’t matter when discussing politics, but the problem lies with people like you, who show no interest until suddenly chiming in.”

Jung continued her criticism, addressing Lee directly: “Get a grip. Do you even know how the Democratic Party has wrecked the budget? Using the budget to pressure government agencies and behaving like legislative thugs—that’s communism. Celebrities always get swept up in these movements but never take responsibility for the consequences.” Jung also urged Lee to “understand the situation properly before speaking freely.”

Previously, on December 7, Jung commented on next year’s budget proposal, stating, “In any other country, the budget alone would have caused chaos before the president even acted. This would’ve triggered martial law.” She also added, “If Lee Jae-myung (leader of the Democratic Party) gains power, things will be even worse than the debt accrued under former President Moon Jae-in.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea is pushing ahead with efforts to impeach President Yoon despite the failure of the initial vote. The second motion is set to be reported to the National Assembly on December 12 and will go to a vote on December 14. The party plans to hold weekly votes until the motion passes, promising to maintain political pressure through continuous impeachment proceedings.