The cover, as well as the rest of the photoshoot, was previously criticized in Korea, with netizens saying that it romanticizes kidnap and rape. As reported previously, in response, editor Lee Young Bi, stated the photo is unrelated to sexual assault, and that it is actually an homage to Kim Byung Ok's antagonistic roles.
However, the negative attention has only been snowballing as the magazine cover has now spread internationally, leading to recent coverage from international news sources such as Cosmopolitan (U.S. and U.K.), The Huffington Post, Life & Style, Jezebel, and more.
An online petition in Korea, asking to stop the selling of the September issue, has amassed nearly 10,000 online signatures since the petition started on August 26. The petition also gives more info and statistics on sexual assault in Korea.
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What are your thoughts? Are people reading too much into the pictorial or did the magazine go overboard with how it paid tribute to the actor's villainous roles?
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