“Calling junwon, seonho and kyohwan ugly is insane”- Internet outraged over Knetz complaints about Go Youn-jung’s co-stars’ visuals

Online outrage erupted on April 24, 2025, as internet users pushed back against negative comments made by K-netizens about Go Youn-jung's male co-stars. The backlash stemmed from viral posts on forums like TheQoo, where some Korean netizens harshly criticized the appearance of her recent drama partners. These included Kim Seon-ho, Jung Jun-won, and Koo Kyo-hwan.

K-netz claimed they lacked "visual appeal" and pointed out significant age differences. Many found this offensive and baseless, considering all three actors are widely known for their talent and charm. Go Youn-jung is known for her strong performances and rising profile. She has been praised for her chemistry with her co-stars across various projects.

K-netz reaction to Go Youn-jung's recent male leads (Images via TheQoo and Pannchoa)

Kim Seon-ho stars opposite her in the upcoming romantic comedy Can This Love Be Translated?, in which he plays a multilingual interpreter. Koo Kyo-hwan will appear with her in the introspective drama Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness, written by My Liberation Notes writer Park Hae-young.

Jung Jun-won shares the screen with her in Resident Playbook. The drama is a medical spin-off of Hospital Playlist, where he portrays a seasoned OB-GYN.

The online criticism focused on visuals and questioned casting choices involving actors over ten years older than Go Youn-jung. However, others quickly jumped to their defense. An X user @geokonic__, wrote:

"calling junwon, seonho and kyohwan ugly is insane..."

Internet rally against Go Youn-jung's male leads against harsh comments from K-netz (Image via X/@geokonic__)

Many emphasized that Kim Seon-ho, Jung Jun-won, and Koo Kyo-hwan are known for their exceptional performances and screen presence. They also criticized the Korean beauty standards, believing all the actors mentioned were good-looking.

"majority of gyj’s fan are happy with these pairings and I don’t see any problem. knets should go mirror themselves," a fan wrote.

"how dare you saying seonho UNATTRACTIVE?????? yall blind kh," an X user remarked.

"Half of the comments are about the more than 10 years age gap, which i get. But calling rest Ugly is a reach. Also calling Kim Seonho Ugly is double reach," another person mentioned.

"Korean people are so obsessed with beauty, there pretty people turns out to be so evil they are okay with it because they are beautiful," another user added.

The netizens also stated that these comments reflected an outdated and shallow focus on looks over acting ability.

"They might not meet knetz standard. But all of them are great actors and is very charming," a fan commented.

"People who are obsessed with visuals annoy me sm..these are two talented actors who have a natural charima onscreen. God forbid they dont cast pretty men with acting range of a brick wall," an X user mentioned.

"What's unattractive to me is people still watching dramas JUST BECAUSE of visuals. That's not the point? You don't care if they deliver a good story at all? Or if the cast could act? Just the aesthetics matter? DO YOU HEAR YOURSELVES?" another fan wrote.

Casting chemistry, acting range & age gap talk in Go Youn-jung's latest works

Despite the online controversy, Go Youn-jung's latest projects feature some of Korean entertainment's most sought-after male actors. In Resident Playbook, Jung Jun-won plays Goo Do-won, a respected senior doctor whose composed demeanor balances Youn-jung's passionate character, Oh Yi-young.

In Can This Love Be Translated?, Kim Seon-ho portrays Ju Ho-jin. He is a rare language genius who finds himself in comedic and emotional misunderstandings with top actress Cha Mu-hee, played by Youn-jung. The series is penned by the popular Hong Sisters and is set to air on Netflix later in 2025. Seon-ho is known for Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and Start-Up.

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Another co-star under fire is Koo Kyo-hwan, who is set to appear alongside Go Youn-jung in Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness. The actor has received critical acclaim for D.P. and Peninsula and is praised for choosing psychologically rich roles. Despite the 13-year age gap between him and Go Youn-jung, many believe their pairing will offer fresh depth to the drama.

While some online commenters called the age differences and visuals mismatched, the general sentiment among global fans has been supportive. Viewers praised the performances, emotional range, and thoughtful storytelling in these works.

The incident once again highlights the harsh beauty standards in South Korean entertainment and how netizen culture can sometimes skew harshly toward appearance-based criticism.

About the author

Mantasha is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers K-pop and K-drama. She has recently completed her Masters in English and has a rich 3-year writing experience where she crafted engaging content for top companies such as Unacademy, Apollo Hospitals, Adani Airports, and the Economic Times. Her experience has helped her create a strong foundation that complements her passion for creating the best content related to K-pop, K-dramas and Korean movies.

Mantasha's interest in pop culture took root when her cousin introduced her to classic Hollywood and Bollywood tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. Mantasha’s connection with K-pop supergroup BTS is a special one as their song lyrics, hard work, and dedication resonate with her like no other group does.

Maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethics in her reporting is extremely essential for Mantasha. She prioritizes thorough research, delving deep beyond just superficial sources, to ensure comprehensive and trustworthy information.

When not writing, Mantasha enjoys journaling and doodling, watching K-dramas and listening to songs.

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Edited by Maithreyi S