[Park Si-young's social media]
[Park Si-young's social media]

Film poster designer Park Si-young responded with characteristic humor after an unintended post about stepping back from public activities sparked a minor stir online.

Park posted Thursday on his social media account: "Park Si-young (50, self-employed) accidentally wrote a bad post and has involuntarily been put on hiatus, so please note that Director Park Si-young of Bitna Studio will be handling activities in his place for now."

He then posted a selfie on his account's story with the caption, "It's been 6 hours — can I come back?" effectively walking back what had been read as a retirement announcement.

Park also added the hashtags "#NotAComeback #NeverLeftInTheFirstPlace #LetNewJeansPerform," rounding out his response with a string of witty remarks.

Earlier Thursday, Park had set off the speculation when he wrote that he had decided to stop doing YouTube videos and interviews for now. He said he would honor existing commitments and would respond if friends asked, but would not accept new invitations.

"Freedom is the most important value in my life, and I feel like I'm losing it," he wrote. "I live in a remote rural village where I rarely have reason to open my mouth — this was merely small talk I was chatting about on my way back from morning farm work. What is all this fuss about? Before, I felt free, but now it feels less like chatting and more like filing a report. My inner freedom, my pretentiousness and the demands of those who consume me as a character are all combining to drain me."

Park also reflected on his recent past, saying he had drawn a lot of attention with his comments on NewJeans and Hybe, his coming out, and what he called "assassins." He added: "Honestly, what is there to fear from people who spend all day dumping on internet forums and Twitter? They're trivial and laughable. I know what those people are like in the real world, so they don't really stress me out. I just want to do a little good and rack up some heaven miles, just in case."

Meanwhile, Park made headlines in April when he publicly came out, revealing he had been in a same-sex relationship for about 15 years. A veteran of the Korean film poster design industry, he has worked on numerous productions, including "The City of Violence" (2006), "Mother," "The Housemaid," "The Face Reader," "The Wailing," "Veteran 2" and the recent blockbuster "The King's Warden."


min3654@heraldcorp.com