Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Director Apologizes Two Days After Labeling Idol's Use of 'No' as Ilbe Terminology

A director at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation has issued an apology two days after claiming that the phrase "museob-no" (scary) used by Woni, a member of the idol group RESENE, was an expression associated with the far-right online community Ilbe. Director Cho posted a message on social media yesterday (July 9), stating, "I am worried that my remarks may have hurt Woni." Cho added, "The point of my statement was that we should not target individuals for the use of the 'no' suffix, which is often associated with Ilbe among the younger generation." Cho, who is from Busan, explained that they had never heard the 'no' suffix used in the context that Woni had used it during their own upbringing. However, Cho also noted, "Professor Kim Deok-ho of the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Kyungpook National University said that while omitting 'wairi' from 'wairi museob-no' is not grammatically natural, the younger generation does use it that way." Cho added, "It seems I lacked understanding of the language used by the younger generation." Previously, on July 7, Director Cho appeared on a YouTube program and asserted that Woni's remark was indeed an "Ilbe-style expression." [Voice] Cho Su-jin / Director, Roh Moo-hyun Foundation (YouTube 'Jang Yoon-sun's News Convenience Store'): "I thought it was an 'Ilbe-style' expression because many of the singer's previous remarks have been circulating, and I am also from the Gyeongsang province. So, I believed it was an 'Ilbe-style' expression." Cho further argued, "Like the cases of Baejae High School and Starbucks, a culture that was originally in the shadows is gradually moving into the mainstream. The current situation has arisen because it was not properly addressed in the past." Following Cho's remarks, netizens expressed strong reactions, with comments such as, "Even grandmothers in Geoje say it is a legitimate dialect," and "The spirit of President Roh Moo-hyun has disappeared from the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation." The controversy began when a producer at Gyeongnam MBC and political figures raised issues, claiming that the use of the expression "museob-no" by RESENE member Woni, who is from Geoje, was an Ilbe-style expression. However, as claims from the National Institute of Korean Language and academia have been introduced—stating that the '-no' suffix is actually used in Gyeongsang dialect even in sentences without interrogatives—critics are pointing out that the initial accusation labeling it as an Ilbe-style expression was inappropriate. Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Choi Gang-san | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News | Source: YouTube 'Jang Yoon-sun's News Convenience Store', Cho Su-jin's SNS
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