Shocking debate is exploding online as terms said to have originated on the far-right community Ilgan Best Storage (Ilbe) allegedly spread into mainstream pop culture.
First, controversy reignited around webtoon creator and executive producer Tae-joon Park of the SBS drama Agent Kim Reactivated, which has soared to 21.6% viewership by its fourth episode (Nielsen Korea). Old accusations linking Park to Ilbe have resurfaced as the show’s popularity climbs.
Park previously denied the allegations on his blog, calling them “absurd.” Still, as the drama goes viral, the Ilbe suspicions he faced multiple times in the past are drawing fresh scrutiny.
Additionally, Lecenne member Woni faced backlash on YouTube after using Gyeongsang-do dialect and being accused of speaking in so-called “Ilbe language.” When a PD visiting Minami’s brother’s room said, “I heard a clunk. I’m scared-no,” Woni echoed, “I’m scared-no. Even the lighting is scary,” sparking a fierce debate. The controversy intensified after Gyeongnam MBC PD Hyun-ji Kim voiced concern on social media.
However, others countered that the expression is everyday dialect in the Gyeongnam region, fueling a war of words. In a past broadcast interview, linguist Tae-hyung Ahn, a professor at Dong-A University’s College of Basic Education, explained that in the Southeastern dialect, the ending “-no” appears not only in questions but also in self-talk and exclamations—describing it as a natural Gyeongnam dialect feature.