Jin, a member of K-pop band BTS / AP-Yonhap
BTS member Jin and several other Korean celebrities headed to polling stations on Wednesday to cast their votes in the country's local elections and parliamentary by-elections, carefully avoiding clothing colors that could be interpreted as political statements.
The elections, held Wednesday, renewed a familiar phenomenon in Korea's entertainment industry: celebrities opting for neutral-colored outfits to steer clear of accusations that they are signaling support for a particular political party.
Jin, who recently returned to Korea after performing in Las Vegas on Sunday, was seen voting at a polling station in Seoul's Hannam-dong neighborhood. The BTS star wore a gray top and pants along with a black cap. After casting his ballot, he briefly waved to waiting reporters before leaving.
Jin Tae-hyun, left, and Park Si-eun / Captured from Jin's social media
Other celebrities shared proof-of-voting photos on social media.
Actor Jin Tae-hyun and his wife, actress Park Si-eun, posted a selfie taken outside a polling station on Instagram. The couple wore black and white athletic outfits, respectively.
K-pop girl group Odd Youth also uploaded a commemorative photo to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the second day of early voting. Four Korean members of the group posed together after voting, while the group's Japanese member did not participate because she is not eligible to vote in Korean elections.
What drew attention was that all of them appeared in neutral colors such as gray, black or white.
In Korea, where political parties are strongly associated with specific colors, celebrities often face scrutiny during election seasons. Wearing clothing that resembles a party's signature color or making hand gestures that appear to reference a candidate's ballot number can quickly spark online debate over alleged political leanings.
Source: Korea Times News
