Estimated reading time: 6 minutes. Source: maniadb
If you’ve never heard of Ali, Na-young (a pseudonym), or their connection, please see Seoulbeats for some background. Assuming that you have, I’d like to add just two things in this introduction to today’s translation.
First, that back in December 2008, the combination of the particularly horrific nature of the crime, and the light sentencing of the rapist, simply incensed the Korean public. So perhaps one can understand the severity of netizens’ reactions to Ali using Na-young’s name in a song title.
Next, that that public outrage in 2008 ultimately led to many changes to the Korean pop-culture industries, which we’re still seeing the effects of today. For, triggered by Na-young’s case, public anger about sex crimes against minors came to a head by the following summer, leading to increased scrutiny and concern about those working in the music industry especially.
Combine that with the sex-crime revelations that followed suicide of actress Jang Ja-yeon, and we came to have the widespread restrictions on and/or censorship of song subjects, lyrics, clothing, dance moves, and so on that we see today (albeit not just on minors). Working around thoseāor deliberately breaking them to create publicityāhas now become an integral part of the production of K-pop.
(Translation begins)
Source: ģ°ė¦¬ė¤ģģ¬źø°ģ
[ģ¤ėģ ģøģ] ģķģ ģ¬ėģ¼ė” ź°ģøė¤ā¦ ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§, ģė¦¬ ė§ė ź½ ģ£¼ė©° ģė” / Enveloping pain with love . . . Na-youngās father meets Ali, gives flowers and consolation
Chosun, December 19, 2011,Ā by ģ ģ§ģ/Jeong Ji-seob
ģė²ģ§ģ ź°ģ“ ģØ ėģģ“, ė¶ėė¼ ė§ģ ģ°Øģģ źø°ė¤ė ¤ / Na-young, who came with her father, was too shy and waited in the car
ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§:”ź·øė° ź³ ķµ ģė ģ¤ ėŖ°ėė¤ģ ė§ģ“ ķė¤ģģ£ ā¦ ģøģ§ė§ģ, ė¤ķ°ģ¦ė¤ ģ§ģ ķģ¼ė©“ ģ¢ź² ė¤” / Na-youngās father: āWe didnāt know you had that kind of pain.Ā It was very hard, wasnāt it.Ā Donāt cry, I hope the netizens calm down.ā
ķøģ§ 5ģ„ģ ė§ģ ė“ģ ģė¦¬ “ėģģ“ģ ģ©źø°ģ£¼ė ¤ ķėė° ėÆøė¦¬ ė§ģ ėŖ»ėė ¤ ģ£ģ”ķ“ģā¦ ģøėź° ģ ė§ ėÆøģķ“” ėė¬¼ / Aliās heartfelt 5-page letter: āI intended to give Na-young courage, and I am apologize for not informing you in advance. I am really sorry,ā tears
“ģ ź° ģģ¬Ā·ģź³”ģģøė° ėÆøė¦¬ ė§ģėė¦¬ģ§ ģģ ź² ģ£ģ”ķ©ėė¤. ķė ģ¼ ź²Ŗģ“ė ģøėģ²ė¼ ģ“ź²Øė¼ ģ ģė¤ź³ ģ©źø°ė„¼ ģ£¼ź³ ģ¶ģģ“ģ.” (ź°ģ ģė¦¬)
āI am the lyricist and composer, and I am sorry for not informing you in advance.Ā I wanted to give you courage by saying that though you went through a difficulty, you can overcome it like I did.ā (Singer Ali)
“ģģ¼ė” ķ ģ¼ģ“ ė§ģ ģź°ģØź° ģ“ė ź² ķ ė¹¼ģ ėź² ģ“ģ? ģøģ§ ė§ģ.” (ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§)
āIs it okay for a young woman who has so much ahead of her to lose strength like this? Ā Donāt cry.ā (Na-youngās father)
17 ģ¼ ģ¤ķ ģģø ź°ėØģ ķ ģ°ģźø°ķģ¬ ģ¬ė¬“ģ¤. ģģ ģ ėė ź°ģ”±ģ ‘ģ±ķķ ķ¼ķ“’ė¼ė, ģ“ģ©ė©“ ģøģģ ź°ģ„ ė¬“ź²ź³ ź°ģ¶ź³ ģ¶ģ ģ§ģ ģ§ ė ģ¬ėģ“ ė§ģ£¼ ģģė¤. ķģŖ½ģ ź²ģ ģ ģ„ģ ģ ģ ģ¬ź°ģ ģė¦¬(27). ė¤ė„ø ķģŖ½ģ 2008ė ė²ģ“ģ§ ģ”°ėģ ģ±ķķ ģ¬ź±“ģ ķ¼ķ“ ģ“ė¦°ģ“ ėģģ“(ź°ėŖ )ģ ģė²ģ§.
The afternoon of December 17th in the office of a Gangnam entertainment management agency. Two people, who personally or whose family bear the burden of the damage of sexual assault, maybe the heaviest and the one they would most wish to conceal of their lives, sat opposite each other. On one side, the singer Ali (27), wearing a black suit.Ā On the other side, the father of Na-young (false name), the child victim in the 2008 Cho Doo-soon sexual assault case (illustrator, right: ģ“ģ² ģ/Lee Cheol-won).
ėŖØė ģ¼ģ 14ģ¼ ģė¦¬ź° ģ”°ėģ ģ¬ź±“ģ ė¤ė£¬ ģģź³” ‘ėģģ“’ė„¼ ģ ģØė²ģ ė“ģ ė°ķķė©“ģ ė¹ė”Æėė¤. ģ¼ė¶ ė¤ķ°ģ¦ģ ‘ģ²ģ¶ģ ė²ė¦° ģ± ėŖø ķģ ģ ķģā¦’ ė±ģ ź°ģ¬ė„¼ ė¬øģ ģ¼ģ¼ė©° ģė¦¬ė„¼ ė¬“ģ°Øė³ ź³µź²©ķź³ , ģė¦¬ė ź·øė ė°¤ ėģģ“ģ ėķ ģ¬ź³¼ė¬øģ ėø ė¤ ģØė²ģ ģ ė ģź±°Ā·ķźø°ķė¤.
The whole matter began on the 14th with the release of Aliās new album, which includes a song she wrote, called āNa-young-ee,ā about the Cho Doo-soon incident.Ā Some netizens questioned the use of lyrics like, āYou threw away your youth, selling your body, selling your soul,ā and attacked Ali indiscriminately; that night, after releasing an apology for āNa-young-ee,ā Ali collected and discarded all copies of the album.
ź·øėė ģ¼ė¶ ė¤ķ°ģ¦ģ ģ ķģ“ ė©ģ¶ģ§ ģģ ģė¦¬ė 16ģ¼ ģė²ģ§ģ ķØź» źø°ģķź²¬ģ ģ“ģ“”3ė ģ ėė ģ±ķķģ ė¹ķė¤”ź³ ź³ ė°±ķė©° ź±°ė ģ©ģė„¼ źµ¬ķė¤. ģė¦¬ ģø”ģ 14ģ¼ ė¬øģ ź° ė°ģķģė§ģ ėģģ“ ź°ģ”±ģź² “ģ°¾ģź° ģ¬ģ£ķź³ ģ¶ė¤”ė ė»ģ ģ ķź³ , ģģ°ģ ģ¬ė ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ź° ģė¦¬ ģø”ģ źø°ģķź²¬ģ ė³ø ė¤ “ė“ź° ėģģ“ģ ķØź» ģ°¾ģź°ź² ė¤”ź³ ķ“ ė§ėØģ“ ģ±ģ¬ėė¤.
However, some netizensā negative comments didnāt stop, so Ali held a press conference on the 16th with her father and confessed, ā3 years ago, I was also sexually assaulted,ā and asked once more for forgiveness.Ā On the 14th, as soon as the problem appeared, Ali conveyed her wish to āgo and apologizeā to Na-youngās family, and Na-youngās father, after watching Aliās press conference, said, āIāll go with Na-young to visit her,ā and the meeting was arranged (caption, left: ģė¦¬ź° 17ģ¼ ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ė„¼ ķµķ“ ėģģ“ģź² ģ¤ ģ¬ģ£ģ ķøģ§ / The apology letter Ali gave to Na-young through her father on the 17th).
ģ“ė ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ė ģė¦¬ź° ėė¬¼ģ ķė¦¬ė©° ģ¬ģ£ķģ ź°ź³ ģØ ė°±ķ©ź³¼ ģź°ź½ ė¤ė°ģ ė“ė ¤ėź³ ź±°ė ģė¦¬ė„¼ ė¬ė¬ė¤. “ėė ģ“ģ źø°ģķź²¬ķ ė“ģ©ģ ė¤ģģ“ģ. ź·øė ź² ķ° ź³ ķµģ“ ģė ģ¤ ėŖ°ėė¤ģ. ģ¼ė§ė ķė¤ź³ ģ“ė ¤ģ ģģ§ ģ¶©ė¶ķ ģ§ģė¼ģ. ģ¬ģ ģ ģ°ė¦¬ģź² ģė¦¬ģ§ė ģź³ ė øėė„¼ ė§ė¤ģėØ ģźøø ė£ź³¤ ķź° ė ģė° ķė§¤ źøģ§ ź°ģ²ė¶ź¹ģ§ ģź°ķėė° ė øėė„¼ ķźø°ķź² ė¤ź³ ķ“ģ ė§ģģ“ ģ¢ ėź·øė¬ģ”ģ“ģ. ź·øė°ė° ź·øė° ģ¬ģ (ģ±ķķ)ź¹ģ§ ģģė¤ė, ė“ź° ė¤ė ģ¬ģ¤ģ¼ź² ė¤ė ģź°ģ“ ė¤ģģ£ .”
On this day, Ali apologized with tears streaming, and Na-youngās father put down the bouquet of lilies and babyās breath he had brought and comforted her repeatedly.Ā āI heard what you said at the press conference.Ā I didnāt know that you had such great pain.Ā I can guess how difficult and hard that must have been.Ā When we heard that youād made the song without letting us know beforehand, we were angry and even thought of an injunction banning sales of the album, but you said you would discard the song so our feelings softened.Ā But you had that kind of situation (sexual assault), so I felt I should console you.ā
ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ź° “ģ°ø ė§ģ“ ķė¤ģģ£ ?” ķģ ģė¦¬ź° ģøėعģ“ė©° ģ ģ ģ“ģė¤. “(ėģģ“ģ) ź°ģ ķ“ģ ģ ė ė¹ķģ“ģ. ź·øėģ (ėģģ“) źø°ģ¬ź° ėģ¤ė©“ ģ¤ķ¬ė©ķ“ģ ģ£¼ė³ ģ¬ėė¤ģź² ė³“ģ¬ģ£¼ź³ (ėģģ“ ėźø° ėŖØźø źø°ź“ģ) ģµėŖ ģ źø°ė¶ė ķģ“ģ. ėØģ ģ¼ģ“ ģė ź² ź°ģ ė ģ ź·¹ģ ģ¼ė” ėź³ ģ¶ģģ§ė§ ź·øė¬ė©“ ģ£¼ė³ģģ ‘ķ¹ģ ė ė ģė’ ķ ź² ź°ģģ ź³µź°ģ ģ¼ė”ė ėŖ» ķģ£ .”
When Na-youngās father said, āIt was very hard, wasnāt it?ā Ali was on the verge of tears as she spoke.Ā āI was assaulted in the same year (as Na-young).Ā So when the articles (about Na-young) came out, I saved them and showed them to the people around me, and donated anonymously (to the fund-raising organization for helping Na-young).Ā It didnāt feel like someone elseās problem, so I wanted to help more actively, but it seemed like if I did that, the people around me might ask, āDid something happen to you?ā so I couldnāt do it openly.ā
ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ė ģė¦¬ģź² “ķė¤ź² ģ§ė§ ģģ¶ėģ§ ė§ź³ ė¹ė¹ķź² ģ ė©“ ėķķ“ė¼. ź·øź² ģ“źø°ė źøø”ģ“ė¼ź³ ķė¤. “ģ°ė¦¬ ģ¬ķ ķķ ź° ģ¬ķģ§ė§ ‘ėŖ©ģė¦¬ ģ ė“ė ģ¬ėģ“ ė°ė³“’ė¼ź³ ė¤ ģź°ķģģģ. (ģ±ķķ ķ¼ķ“ģė¤ģ“) ģźø° ėŖ©ģė¦¬ė„¼ ė¹ė¹ķź² ė¼ ģ ģė źø°ķź° ė§ė¤ģ“ģ øģ¼ ķ“ģ.” ź·øė “ģ“ė² (ėģģ“ ė øė) ģ¼ ėė¬øģ ė¤ķ°ģ¦ģ“ ė§ģ“ ķź° ė ź² ź°ģė°, ģ¤ķ“ė ė§ģ“ ķė¦° ė§ķ¼ ģ§ģ ėģ¼ė©“ ģ¢ź² ė¤”ź³ ķė¤.
Na-youngās father said to Ali, āIt must be hard, but instead of cowering, face things confidently head-on. Thatās the way to win.Ā Our social climate is sorrowful, but as people say, āThe person who doesnāt speak out is a fool.āĀ Opportunities need to be created for (victims of sexual assault) to speak out confidently.āĀ He continued, āBecause of this matter (the song āNa-young-eeā), netizens seem to have gotten very angry, and I hope this misunderstanding gets cleared up so they will calm down.” (caption, right: ź°ģ ģė¦¬ź° (ė³øėŖ ģ”°ģ©ģ§) 16ģ¼ ģ¤ķ ģģø ģ¢ ė”źµ¬ ķģ§ė ģėŖ ģķøģ¼ķ° ģ½ģķøķģģ ģ“ė¦° ģė¦¬ģ ģ ź· 1ģ§ģ ģė”ė ‘ėģģ“’ź³” ė ¼ėź³¼ ź“ė Øķ ź³µģ źø°ģķź²¬ģ„ģģ 2008ė ģ±ķķė¹ķ ģ¬ģ¤ģ ė°ķė©° ėė¬¼ģ ķė¦¬ź³ ģė¤ / Singer Ali {real name Jo Yong-jin}, at an official press conference at the Sangmyeong Art Center in Hongji-dong, Gongro-gu, Seoul, regarding controversy caused by her song, ėģģ“, in her 1st regular album, crying while announcing that she was raped herself in 2008)
ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ź° 1ģź°ģ¬ ėģ ģźø°ė„¼ ėė ė¤ “ė°ģ ģ¬ė ģź° ģ”ģėعģ¼ė©“ ģ ėė¤”ė©° ģ¼ģ“ėģ ģė¦¬ė ė¤ģ“ģ“ė¦¬ģ ģ°ķ, ź½ ģ„ģģ“ ė¬ė¦° ėØøė¦¬ė ź° ė ģ¢ ģ“ ź°ė°©ģ ģ ė¬ķė¤.
After talking for an hour, Na-youngās father said, āI shouldnāt take up a busy personās time,ā and stood up.Ā Ali gave him a paper bag containing a diary, pencil, and flower-decorated headband.
ģė¦¬ė ėģģ“ģź² ģ¬ģ£ģ ź²©ė ¤ģ ė©ģģ§ė„¼ ė³“ė“ė ė“ģ©ģ ė¤ģÆ ģ„ģ ķøģ§ė ģ“ė” ė“ķ¬ģ ė“ģ ķØź» ģ ė¬ķė¤. “ė“ź° ė¶ģ”±ķ“ ėģź² ģģ²ė„¼ ė ģ£¼ź² ė¼ ģ ė§ ėÆøģķ“. (ģ¤ėµ) ė§ģ½ ź“ģ°®ė¤ė©“ ėģ ģźø°ė ė¤ė ¤ģ¤. ģ¹źµ¬ź° ėģģ¼ė©“ ģ¢ź² ģ“.”
Ali also gave Na-young a five-page message of apology and encouragement, contained in a green envelope.Ā āIām very sorry that my mistake caused you to be hurt again.Ā (ā¦) If itās okay, tell me your story in return.Ā Iād like us to be friends.”
ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ź° ģ§ģ¼ė” ģ¶ė°ķė ¤ė ģ°Ø ģģė ėģģ“ź° ķź³ ģģė¤. ėģģ“ ģė²ģ§ė “ėģģ“ź° ģ°Øė„¼ ģ¤ė ķź³ ģ ķ¼ź³¤ķė ė°ė¤ ė¶ėė¬ģģ ė§ģ“ ķ ė°ģ ģź³ ģ¶ė¤ź³ ķė¤”ź³ ķė¤. ģė¦¬ė ģģ“ ģ ė³“ģ“ģ§ ģė ģ°½ė°ģģ “ģøėź° ģ ė§ ėÆøģķ“”ė¼ź³ ėŖ ė²ģ“ź³ ė§ķė¤.
Na-young was in the car that her father took to go home. Her father said, āNa-young is tired from riding in the car for a long time, and also she is very shy, so she said she would like to stay outside.ā Outside of a window into which one couldnāt really see, Ali said several times, āI am really sorry.ā (end)
(Thanks to Marilyn for the translation)
If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/źµėƼģķ, 563401-01-214324)
I honestly don’t know what to say to this. I think what the father said, “Our social climate is sorrowful.” I agree. This really shook me.
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I don’t actually know if the netizen comments stopped after she revealed herself to be a rape victim. I didn’t see any articles mentioning otherwise and I hope they did. It’s clear that the song was meant well and that the ambiguousness of the lyrics was the problem. I’m happy Ali did reveal what had happened to her and that she’s not withdrawn from the spotlight. She also won the January 7th episode of Immortal Song
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Yes, that would be a real pity if the comments didn’t stop. But after what happened to Tablo, then I can easily believe it.
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I actually read some of the netizen comments after Ali revealed that she was raped. Some of them where supportive but there were a great many of them that were harsh. I can’t exactly quote any of them but there were a lot of comments saying she should of kept that information to herself and she has no right to speak about it since her anus hasn’t been replaced with bag so he has no right to speak on the Nayoung situation. The comments made me angry.
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Na-young’s story is so gut-wrenching it’s hard to put it in words.
Although Ali’s experience was as bad as they come, she cannot compare it with what happened to Na-young.
Nor should they be compared.
In the Kid’s chase it went past rape and straight to mutilation of the most gruesome sort.
I feel horrible just remembering it.
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I really didn’t understand why she faced so much censure for writing this song. Firstly, Na-yeong isn’t the girl’s real name – it seems odd that anyone would have a problem with someone writing a song using a pseudonym as a title. Secondly, while celebrities use all kinds of egregious and distasteful tactics to gain publicity for their work, I think anyone who’s actually listened to the song would realise that isn’t the case here. The song is quite a downbeat mid-tempo number and Ali actually sings it with real feeling and pain in her voice – plus she wrote it herself. However, I’ve just now read about some of the lyrics being “you threw away your youth, selling your body, selling your soul”, which seem inappropriate and insensitive. I can understand why those lines (perhaps they have a different sound in the Korean?) would have angered her family.
@MiniMax: I don’t think it’s helpful to talk about which assault was “worse”.
I don’t know; perhaps Koreans want Korean artists to only sing about rainbows and lollipops and stuff. Worth nothing that Ali’s attacker got off scot-free after her father told her never to tell anyone about it.
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*worth noting
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This article along with the previously released articles regarding the unnecessary controversy of the ‘Na Youri’ song makes me so heart broken.. i can really say that sometimes, media can play ‘Gods’.. in one article they can either make someone famous if they act positively or fail if they act negatively! I felt so bad for ALI.. regardless of her being famous, she’s a woman who have her rights disgustingly violated.. and due to the ignorance and cynicism of the media people.. she has to endure all these scrutinies… thankfully she is a very-very strong person! Way to go ALI!!!
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Thanks for your comment, and I understand.
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I’m 25 afro-arabian girl, I raped in 24-12-2009
my future in marriage is over in that moment,
I still trying to be strong with my own,
but honestly, I can let any body to know that was happened to me !
I thing the story of Ali & Na-young is very inispiring,
thank you for sharing with us
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I really hope things are better for you now. I hope you never give up on your future and I hope you no longer feel ashamed. It wasn’t your fault.
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That poor girl. It was so difficult to read about the crime. I pray and wish that she will be safe, healthy, and happy.
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