Ko Young-wook of the group Rula. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]
Ko Young-wook of the group Rula. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]

Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Rula, has posted a pointed message targeting singer and broadcaster Lee Ji-hye.

On Sunday, Ko shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account a news article reporting that Lee had moved into a Han River-view apartment of about 132 square meters.

Ko said, "49 pyeong and she calls it minimalism," and added, "I wonder if she gradually picked up the pretentiousness of the producer who gave her her debut."

He went on to say that his sudden removal from the entertainment program "Eumakui Shin" had opened the door for Lee's rise, suggesting her success on variety shows was owed to the gap he left behind.

Ko closed his post by writing, "My junior Lee Ji-hye has really made it. I suppose I feel a small sense of reward."

This is not the first time Ko has publicly targeted fellow entertainers. He has previously drawn controversy by openly criticizing Yoo Jae-suk, Kang Hyung-wook, Shin Dong-yup, Pungja, Tak Jae-hoon and Bibi.

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 an entertainer in South Korea. He was released after serving his full sentence in July 2015.


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