Actor Ji Chang Wook is facing backlash after netizens spotted him smoking indoors.
Ji Chang Wook | @jichangwook/Instagram
The incident occurred during the filming of his latest K-Drama, Welcome To Samdal-ri. On February 10, KST, similar posts were uploaded on multiple online communities, showing a behind-the-scenes moment where the show’s cast is rehearsing a scene inside a room.
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Though Ji Chang Wook’s back was toward the camera in the clip, he could be seen taking a puff from what looked like an electronic cigarette. The clip was taken from an official behind-the-scenes video posted by JTBC, but it seems that not many spotted the incident until the OP (original poster) pointed it out.
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While smoking is a personal choice for adults, South Korea has multiple health regulations in place regarding indoor smoking. Many public personalities have faced criticism for it. In 2023, EXO’s D.O. was allegedly fined after a clip of him smoking indoors went viral. Recently, NCT’s Haechan also faced a huge backlash for indoor smoking and had to apologize through an official statement.
Ji Chang Wook is also facing similar backlash for allegedly smoking indoors. Many are upset over his choosing to smoke in a work setting, which they deemed unprofessional. However, some also feel that celebrities probably have no other choice since getting caught smoking in public could often lead to bigger controversies.
| Instiz “What kind of a place is the entertainment industry that indoor smoking seems to be so normal there? I have never seen people like this around me.”
— “I agree. At this point, I can’t help but wonder what the entertainment industry is all about…” “Wow, is this for real? I really liked Ji Chang Wook…” “I just got scolded for smoking on the street, and now I’m pissed about the strict regulation regarding cigarettes. But isn’t it impolite to do that during a rehearsal? Why isn’t anyone saying anything?” “From the moment he posted a selfie of him smoking on Instagram, I knew it.” “Agreed. It made me realize.” | theqoo “It looks like this kind of atmosphere is normal. How many of them have been caught so far exactly?” “Since it’s the male lead smoking indoors, there’s no one to say anything LOL. I always thought Ji Chang Wook has a well-made image as an actor, so this isn’t even surprising to me.” “It seems like, in their world, smoking indoors is so common that it’s become normalized. Even though the other actors were right in front of him, if he were caught smoking outside, wouldn’t that bring down his image even more?” “Isn’t that his place of work? He’s behaving like that while working?” “Hahaha.” “It’s like if an office worker were to smoke during a meeting, LOL. Is that really something to do indoors…”
