Shinji, a member of the veteran K-pop group Koyote, has publicly condemned a social media user for misusing an old photo to falsely claim she supports a specific presidential candidate.

On her personal social media, Shinji recently wrote, “Some people are really unbelievable. I feel like this keeps happening because our laws aren’t strong enough. But I’m not just going to let it slide this time simply because I’m a celebrity. It’s too unfair.”

The controversy erupted when a netizen posted a photo of themselves with Shinji, accompanied by text falsely suggesting that the singer was endorsing a particular candidate in the upcoming presidential election. In the photo, Shinji can be seen smiling and making a V sign with her fingers—a common pose often misinterpreted during election seasons in Korea.

Shin Ji firmly addressed the individual, saying, “This photo is from a long time ago, and I believe I took it for you after an event with no political intent whatsoever. If you continue using it like this, I will report it to my company and pursue legal action. Please take the photo down.”

With election-related gestures like the thumbs-up and V sign being closely scrutinized in Korea, particularly during campaign periods, Shinji’s swift response reflects a growing concern among public figures over the misuse of their images in political contexts.

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