Hwang Hyun-min, 53, a member of first-generation idol group Jam, said he has faced harassment after publicly supporting a protest over a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.
In a post on his social media account Monday, Hwang said he could no longer stay silent over what he described as the election commission's conduct. "I've decided to come out of hiding," he wrote. "Citizens across the political spectrum are gathering in Jamsil to fight for their sovereignty, and I want to be even a speck of dust worth of support — so I'm stopping work and making 100 hamburgers to bring to them."
He added that he was in Thailand and could not attend in person, but that his father-in-law, wife and staff would head to Jamsil as soon as the burgers were ready. He later posted photos showing his family distributing hamburgers at the rally site near Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
After his family handed out the food at the protest, Hwang said he began receiving abusive phone calls and other forms of harassment from some critics, disrupting his business.
"I'm experiencing the kind of dirty tactics I'd only heard about," he wrote. "Apparently there have already been a lot of abusive and prank calls to my store." He warned those who disagreed with him to think carefully. "If you're confident you can get me sued, go ahead and interfere with my business," he said.
Hwang debuted in 1993 with Jam's first album "I Won't Stop" and found success with songs including "Let's All Love," "Awkward Feeling" and "My Own Reason." Since the group disbanded, he has run an entertainment agency and worked as a restaurant entrepreneur.
Broadcaster Park Myung-su's social media account was flooded with comments urging him to speak out on the ballot shortage controversy, as debate over the June 3 local elections continued to spread.
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