Life is inherently unfair and even celebrities who appear to have more than the average person suffer their own indignities, failures, and also unexpected setbacks beyond their control. This week K-net is abuzz with the publication of former South Korean President Lee Myung Bak’s cultural blacklist containing 82 names of actors, actresses, artists, entertainers, musicians, and the like who was deemed to be critical of the government and left leaning in their beliefs.

The more recognizable names for international K-drama fans would be actor Lee Jun Ki and actress Kim Gyu Ri, with both posting responses to hearing that they were in fact being targeted by their own government and limited to their entertainment activities. Both fell into the blacklist for being critical of the government in the handling of the US beef issue in 2008, with Kim Gyu Ri even sued by a importer of US beef for libel for speaking out against the safety of the product. Lee Jun Ki seems to have fared ok during the blacklist period from 2008-2013, during which he served in the military, but Kim Gyu Ri went 8 years without doing a drama and has since spoken out about how her 30’s was stolen from her. Continue reading →