Ko Youngwook, Who Mentioned "Japanese AV Actor," Says "Let’s Stop Now" as Controversy Grows

Ko Youngwook (50), former member of the group Loola, posted about Japanese adult video (AV) actors. After his comment sparked controversy among internet users, he responded with an additional post expressing his feelings.

On July 14, Ko uploaded a screenshot of a news article discussing his statement to his social networking service (SNS). The article indicated that his remarks regarding Japanese AV actors were not an actual intent to debut, but rather a self-deprecating joke expressing his feelings of helplessness about his situation.

Ko Youngwook, former member of the group Lula. The Asia Business Daily database

In sharing the article, Ko added a brief comment: "Let’s stop now."

Previously, on July 12, Ko wrote, "I just wanted to live happily and make people laugh, but it seems difficult to find a job in Korea," and added, "I think I saw somewhere that there is a shortage of male AV actors in Japan. If it is legally permitted..." This post triggered controversy among internet users.

He later quoted a passage from Australian writer Maria Tumarkin’s book "Axiomatic." The quoted passage reads, "No one should be punished beyond what the court has sentenced. But the community still punishes people." This appears to reflect Ko's state of mind in an indirect way.

Ko Youngwook debuted in 1994 as a member of Loola, but in 2013, the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years and six months in prison on charges of sexual assault and molestation against a minor. He was also ordered to have his personal information disclosed for five years and to wear an electronic ankle monitor for three years.

After being released from prison in 2015, Ko resumed communicating with the public through SNS. However, in 2020, his Instagram account was closed after just one day due to sex offender account restrictions and user reports. Similarly, his YouTube channel, launched in 2024, was blocked after about two weeks of operation. At the time, Ko raised a fairness issue, saying, "Wasn't the channel shut down just because I am an ex-convict?"

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