Joo Guk: "'No' Criticism Not Aimed at Licenne... Licenne, Yahoo!"

"Regretful That My Words Have Been Used to Hurt Lissante and Its Fans"

Former leader of the National Innovation Party, Joo Guk, expressed his heavy heart over the possibility that his post on social media regarding the 'Guide to Distinguishing Busan Dialect from Ilbe-style Expressions' may have hurt the group Licenne and their fans.

Former leader of the National Innovation Party Joo Guk. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On July 12, Joo wrote on Facebook, "I felt heavy-hearted due to the repercussions of my raising the issue about the use of 'no' in the Ilbe style, which may look similar to Gyeongsang Province dialect but is clearly different." He continued, "Before being a politician, as a citizen of a democratic republic, I sought to point out how deeply Ilbe culture—which has continuously mocked and encouraged hatred against the precious values of democracy and human rights in our community—has permeated our society’s language, and to raise awareness of its dangers."

He said, "What I particularly lamented was the phenomenon where the Ilbe-style use of 'no,' which began as a means to ridicule the late President Roh Moo-hyun, has spread across our society without criticism and has been tacitly condoned." He added, "I became aware that my raising this issue was being interpreted as criticism of Licenne. Let me be clear: I have never mentioned or targeted Licenne in any of my posts. I have never stated that Licenne is associated with Ilbe."

Joo also said, "I deeply regret and am saddened that my post has been used as an opportunity to hurt Licenne and their fans." He added, "This situation has made me reflect on the need to pay closer attention to the language and culture of the younger generation, as well as the context in which it is used."

Furthermore, Joo pledged, "I will continue to fight against the anti-human rights and anti-humanity culture of Ilbe," but also promised, "At the same time, I will strive even harder to understand the language and culture of future generations with a humble heart." To conclude, he cheered for Licenne, ending his statement on a lighthearted note by using Licenne’s catchphrase: "Licenne, Yahoo!"

Meanwhile, controversy arose after a producer from a broadcasting company claimed that when member Woni of Licenne said "Museopno" ("I'm scared, no") on her YouTube channel, it was an Ilbe-style expression used to mock the late President Roh Moo-hyun. During this period, Joo posted on Facebook, "Many people in their teens and twenties are using 'no' at the end of questions, even though they are not Ilbe members." He continued, "We must clearly state that mechanically attaching 'no' to questions is not a matter of whether it fits the Gyeongsang dialect or not, but rather a wrongful act of mocking and disparaging the late President Roh Moo-hyun," leading to accusations that he was targeting Licenne.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.