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

Ko Young-wook, a singer and former member of the group Rula, mocked South Korea's running craze, calling the country "No. 1 at having no staying power."

On Monday, Ko shared a news article about the surge in runners on his X (formerly Twitter) account, writing, "Why do Koreans have no mind of their own?" and "How did they manage to hold back from running — which they apparently love so much — all this time, only to suddenly flood out?" The comments framed the running trend as mindless trend-chasing.

He added, "If others are running, I have to run too; if others are going somewhere, I have to go too," attaching a thumbs-up emoji.

The article Ko shared reported that the area around Gyeongbokgung Palace has emerged as a popular running destination, transforming the commercial landscape of the Seochon neighborhood.

This is not the first time Ko has taken aim at Koreans.

On Wednesday, Ko wrote, "Before getting worked up over rooting out pro-Japanese collaborators from a bygone era, shouldn't Koreans first focus on observing the most basic standards of decency in daily life?"

He added, "Please, at least learn from Japan when it comes to cleaning up your trash." The post was accompanied by an article about illegal dumping at Sillim Valley on Seoul's Gwanaksan mountain.

When critical articles about his social media activity followed, Ko pushed back Thursday, writing, "Am I supposed to keep my mouth shut for the rest of my life?" and "I don't live to satisfy you people."

Ko made his debut in 1994 as a member of the group Rula. He was indicted on charges of rape and sexual assault against minors and received a final Supreme Court sentence of two years and six months in prison in 2013.


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