Actress Kim Gyu Ri has shared her emotional and painful reaction after the National Intelligence Service (NIS) finally accepted a court ruling that the state must compensate victims of the 'cultural blacklist' from the administration of former South Korean president Lee Myung Bak.
On November 9, Kim Gyu Ri posted a message on her Instagram. "The ruling is finally confirmed," she wrote. "I just want to stop struggling now. The trauma is so severe that I have a seizure-like reaction just hearing the 'Bl' of 'Blacklist'."
The 'cultural blacklist' was a state-run operation during the Lee Myung Bak administration, led by NIS chief Won Se Hun. A secret 'Left-wing Celebrity Response TF' was created to actively pressure, exclude from broadcasts, and sabotage the careers of artists deemed critical of the government.
In 2017, an internal NIS investigation revealed this task force had managed a list of 82 cultural figures. The list included well-known names like actors Moon So Ri, Lee Jun Ki, and Yoo Jun Sang, as well as TV host Kim Je Dong and singer Yoon Do Hyun from YB.
In 2017, 36 of these artists, including Kim Gyu Ri, sued the former president, the NIS chief, and the state for damages. While a lower court dismissed the claim against the state, the Seoul High Court overturned that decision on October 17, ruling that the government was jointly responsible and must pay 5 million KRW (approx. 3,600 USD) to each victim.
The actress then revealed the terrifying reality of being on the blacklist, "I'd be at an awards show, and as soon as I was shown on screen, a phone call would come from somewhere... The day I was supposed to sign a contract for a project, it was suddenly canceled."
She even received death threats. "When I first heard about the blacklist on the news, I posted a short comment on social media," she recalled. "The very next day, I received a threat saying, 'We'll kill you if you don't stay quiet.'"
The NIS issued a public apology on November 7 and announced it would not appeal the court's decision. However, Kim Gyu Ri was skeptical of the gesture.
"They say they apologized, but to whom exactly?" she wrote. "It seems like they just said it into the void for the news articles. The scars remain and it just feels empty. In any case, I'm happy to hear the news that they've given up the appeal.
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