Super Junior's Choi Siwon issued an apology for his controversial Twitter activity which bolstered his stance against gay marriage while demonstrating support for Kentucky court clerk, Kim Davis.
Choi took to his Twitter account (@siwon407) on September 12, to apologize in both English and Korean.
"I apologize for my inconsiderate choice to retweet Rev. Piper's tweet," said Choi. "The reason I echoed Rev. Piper's tweet was because I wished to voice a plurality of opinions. However, now I realize that my comments were hurtful to those I hold dearest; my fans and their families. I am truly sorry. My judgment was insensitive, thoughtless and ill-conceived. I will do my best to learn from my mistakes and reflect on my faith. I thank everyone for their support and understanding."
His apology is in response to outrage from K-pop fans and gay rights supporters that was sparked by his retweet of a message that harshly criticized the existence of gay marriage.
On September 11, Choi retweeted a post from conservative theologian John Piper. "Obergell is not constitutional; so-called gay marriage does not exist," said Piper, in the Tweet which linked to an op/ed written in support of Kim Davis.
Davis is a public official who continues to defy a recent United States Supreme Court order which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country. Orders by the Supreme Court supersede local law, which means that Davis is acting against the Constitutional of the U.S. and is violating federal law.
K-pop fans who were familiar with the work of Super Junior delivered the strongest reaction to his Twitter activity, due to the regular practice of skinship or simulated homosexuality that has been performed by Choi Siwon during concerts and other activities. Skinship is regularly practiced by many Korean pop acts, as part of their fan service.
YouTube K-pop personalities Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimichi were outspoken about his opinion. "Really disappointed in @siwon407 for his support of Kim Davis," said Simon and Martina, on their official Twitter account.
The message was accompanied by a montage of past examples where he engaged in simulated homoerotic activity with members of Super Junior.
Really disappointed in @siwon407 for his support of Kim Davis :(
— Simon and Martina (@eatyourkimchi) September 11, 2015
However, this event draws attention to the serious nature of the activity and the perception of audiences that skinship could be synonymous with same-sex activities.
While he has frequently appeared in scenes depicting skinship with other members of Super Junior, Choi Siwon has maintained conservative religious views.
Meanwhile, he returns to Korean drama in the upcoming series, "She Was Pretty." "She Was Pretty" will serve as his final drama role prior to his November 2015 enlistment in the Korean military.
