Emerging Actor Harshly Labeled “Far-Right Nugu” Following Instagram Change
Lee Sang Heon is facing backlash after sharing posts about South Korea’s re-election protests on Instagram.
The actor, known for his role as Min Ho Moon in Netflix’s XO, Kitty, reposted several Stories about the June 3, 2026 local elections ballot paper shortage and ongoing protests.
One post showed a crowd waving Korean flags with the text:
“Unprecedented ‘ballot paper shortage’ incident. From June 3 until now, organized at a glance.”
Another Story shared a video of protests demanding a re-election with the caption:
“Koreans asking for re-election,”
and the Korean text:
“Protest underway demanding a re-election.”
He also reposted a video on President Lee Jae Myung titled:
“10 facts that were buried immediately after his inauguration.”
Lee Sang Heon added:
“What is going on Korea…”
The ballot shortage delayed voting at 50 of 14,300 polling stations, forcing some voters to wait or leave without voting. This sparked protests near Seoul’s Olympic Handball Stadium. The demonstrations have been linked to conservative and far-right groups alleging election fraud.
Protests grew political as President Lee Jae Myung’s Democratic Party won most races.
Lee Sang Heon’s posts drew sharp criticism on theqoo. Many called him “nugu” (unknown), questioned his connection to the far-right, and doubted his Korean identity.
Some comments:
“But seriously, who is this?”
“The far-right radicalization of people in their 20s is seriously bad.”
“I was thinking about watching XO, but I was hesitating because it looked too childish. Now I know I’ll never watch it.”
“Is he Korean?? Isn’t he a gyopo?”
Others noted he attended school overseas and served in the military, complicating his identity claims.
So far, Lee Sang Heon has not made a public statement about the backlash.
