Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Rula. [Herald Muse]
Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Rula. [Herald Muse]

Ko Young-wook, a former member of the K-pop group Rula, has rebuffed online critics who told him to "go work loading and unloading at Coupang Inc," saying he is legally barred from doing so.

On Sunday, Ko wrote on his X account that whenever he posts, there are people who leave comments telling him to "stop whining and go do loading and unloading at Coupang Inc." He added that they repeat the same line "as if they rehearsed it — uncreative and not even remotely funny."

He said the commenters either "lack the intelligence" or had simply failed to understand the context of what he had previously said. "Fortunately, I have no trouble making ends meet, so there's no need to worry about me," he wrote.

Ko sharpened his tone toward the critics, writing that he hoped they would "spend the time they waste minding my business on taking care of their own lives instead."

[Herald Muse]
[Herald Muse]

The post came shortly after Ko sparked controversy by raising the possibility of working as an adult video actor in Japan. Complaining about difficulty finding work on social media, he had written that he had "seen somewhere that male adult video actors are in short supply in Japan," and that he would consider it "if it were legally possible, if the law allowed it."

The remark drew a wave of criticism, with some users leaving comments telling him to "go do loading and unloading at Coupang Inc" instead.

The "legal disqualification" Ko cited appears to refer to Article 19-2 of the Lifestyle Logistics Service Industry Development Act, which took effect in January last year.

The provision bars people who have served a prison sentence of at least one year for certain crimes, including sex crimes, from working as small-parcel delivery agents — a category that covers motorcycle-based delivery services such as courier and food delivery.

Because the restriction applies specifically to motorcycle-based delivery work, warehouse loading and unloading at logistics centers falls outside its scope.

[Newsis]
[Newsis]

After that point was raised, Ko reposted the relevant news coverage on X on Monday and wrote that "a helpful reporter has informed me of something I hadn't known."

He added that he had undergone back surgery and "must be careful with my back for the rest of my life," saying the work would be "too much for someone with a bad back like mine."

Ko had also complained in January that he had "spent exactly 13 years, 8 months and 21 days doing nothing as an unemployed person," asking whether there was "any way to earn money for dog food for my beloved dogs."

Ko debuted with Rula in 1994 and was indicted on charges of raping and sexually assaulting three minors between 2010 and 2012.

The Supreme Court upheld a sentence of two years and six months in prison in 2013, along with a five-year public disclosure order and a three-year electronic ankle bracelet requirement — the first such order imposed on a South Korean entertainer. He was released after serving his full sentence in July 2015.


dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com