When the Phone Rings is one of the hottest K-Dramas that’s been catching the attention of viewers as of late. It has placed second on Netflix’s global rankings and bolstered interest and sales for its original web novel, from which the story was based on. However, the show’s popularity isn’t all good news.
"When the Phone Rings" Actor Yoo Yeon Seok Draws Outrage for Misoynistic Remarks
The show's star Yoo Yeon Seok is currently drawing flak online after a clip of him in a 2016 interview revealed his problematic mindset on dating women. During promotions for his movie, Mood of the Day, alongside Flower of Evil actress Moon Chae Won, he expressed that the way a woman dresses can tell Yeon Seok if they’re interested in dating him or not.
The actor explained that if they’re wearing see-through clothing, then he’s led to believe that they indeed have a liking for him. "If a woman wears something translucent, where you can sort of see something whenever they walk? If they wear something like that when they are out with me, I would think they are interested in me,” he said. “If they are all covered up, it feels like they are putting up a wall and I think they are not interested in me.”
In response to this, Chae Won remarked that she wears a lot of turtle necks and pants outside, which prompted Yeon Seok to say that her way of dressing is the reason why she’s single. He also egged her further to dress more revealingly like the outfit she wore in the same interview.
Both Korean and international K-Drama fans have been calling Yeon Seok out for his misogynistic behavior since November 2024 when the video started going viral. This isn’t the first time the clip has circulated around the internet either. Netizens also caught wind of it in 2021 at the height of his fame for Hospital Playlist. “This clip gets uploaded every damn year but K-drama stans have selective amnesia when it comes to male actors,” said one X user.
Despite the criticism on social media, Yeon Seok has yet to apologize for or publicly address his comments.
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