Actress Kim Hye-eun finally apologized by hand.
When his public criticism of his fellow Seoul National University alumnus, writer Yoo Si-min, became controversial, he bowed his head and posted a handwritten letter on his Instagram.The timing of his apology was also appropriate.He released his handwritten message on June 4, when the vote counting was complete, saying, “I hope this does not interfere with the time when the people are fully watching their choice.”

Writer Yoo Si-min previously stirred controversy by saying on a YouTube broadcast that Seol Nan-young, wife of People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, “Her feet are floating in the air” and “She’s not in her right mind.” In response, Kim Hye-eun directly criticized his words and actions, saying, “I’m ashamed of my academic background as a Seoul National University graduate.” However, the repercussions were huge.With the framing of “political remarks” and the criticism of “crossing the line,” Kim Hye-eun’s writing ended up at the center of a bigger controversy.
And a few days later, he quietly picked up his pen.

● Why is it necessarily ‘handwritten’ ?
It’s the digital age now.Typing is faster and more accurate, and most celebrity apologies are uploaded in the form of image captures.Nevertheless, a ‘handwritten apology’ still has a special resonance.

There is a shakyness in handwriting.The trembling of the strokes, the uneven spacing of the letters, the smeared ink marks.All of these act as emotional signals.People sense the ‘humanity’ in that imperfection, and project their emotions.Like unmechanical sincerity, unpacked regret.

In psychology, this is called ‘embodied affective cues’.It is the concept that we can sense other people’s emotions through handprints rather than voices or texts.That’s why a handwritten apology becomes ‘emotional evidence’.

● Form creates sincerity
A celebrity’s handwritten apology is also a kind of performance.However, the performance contains a social context.It is because there was a mistake, and they chose to write ‘the handwritten letter’ as a way to take responsibility for it.Sociologist Erving Goffman described this as ‘the presented self’.It is the theory that people choose how to present themselves, and that becomes a social signal.

Kim Hye-eun’s handwritten apology also carries a heavier weight in that regard.The sentences, “I recognize that the responsibility lies entirely with me and I am deeply reflecting,” and “I am learning the weight of words once again,” are read as a “gesture” rather than “information” through the medium of handwriting.That is how the weight of sincerity was conveyed.

● The public is familiar with the ‘sincerity of form’
Now, celebrity apologies are considered a genre.The font, background, and even the timing of the apology are all evaluated.The public tries to read sincerity through the form of the apology, and if the form is lacking, it is met with cold criticism.

In fact, some handwritten apologies in the past have been criticized for being “not sincere” because their handwriting was too neat.On the other hand, apologies with poor grammar or a mix of profanity and profanity have been met with responses that they “seem more sincere.” In this way, people trust “raw emotions” more than the “perfection” of handwriting.

Celebrities ‘handwritten apology is not just a fad.It is a’ form of responsibility ‘that the public expects, and a way of communicating emotions in an era.Whether the sincerity actually reaches the audience is a separate issue.However, people are still looking for’ human warmth’ in handwritten apologies.
And Kim Hye-eun would have also been well aware of that fact.


Reporter Yang com -mo hmyang0307@donga

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.