Korean actress Song Hye Kyo has made headlines again not as a romantic partner of Song Joong Ki but as a patriot who could say 'no' to an ad for Japanese firm Mitsubishi, for its alleged role in forced labour of Koreans during the Japanese colonial era. But, in the process, she has made an old lady cry.
Quick in queue to appreciate her was her fiance Song Joong Ki, who said, "I think I would've done the same thing if I was given the offer. Now, she has become a person who I love and I really think she made a good decision."
Beset with lawsuits already over the issue, Mitsubishi officials might soon express remorse in a typical way, but the news, that was almost a year old, would not have resurfaced but for the upcoming Song Joong Ki's film 'Battleship Island', set for July 26 release.
Based on a fictional plot of about 400 Joseon workers who attempt to escape from a labor camp, the film 'Battleship Island' features Song Joong Ki playing an agent who infiltrates the camp to plot the great escape. The female lead role portrays the endless troubles faced by a comfort woman under the Japanese rule.
More than the film and the rejection of Mitsubishi ad offer by Song Hye Kyo, the underlying anti-Japanese sentiments are surely re-surfacing in South Korea, with the comfort women controversy still hovering around. No wonder, an 85-year-old former comfort woman re-posted her reaction praising Song Hye Kye.
"I heard that you did something that even leaders of our country could not. When I heard you rejected the Mitsubishi Deal, you made this old lady cry. It felt as good as though a large nail had been pulled out from my heart. If I have wings, I would have been able to fly."
The widely re-tweeted message from the 'grand ma' also said, "Actually we are not asking for any compensation, we just want an apology from the Japanese government and Mitsubishi." It remains to be seen whether Japan and Mitsubishi quickly react, repeating the typical 'remorse' aired in the past or offer a 'refined' apology.
Not only make her fiancé proud , she also make her Nation proud of her and so do I as her fan .. Thank u Kyo #SongHyeKyo #SongSongCouple pic.twitter.com/9SDACpSU6g
— Christina Aglaia (@aglaiathena) July 19, 2017
