Actor Lee Sung-kyung, famous for her roles in shows such as Dr. Romantic 2, has been caught in the eye of controversy. The actor corrected regular cast member Kim Jong-kook of the show SeriMoney Club when he used an incorrect term to refer to the practice of initiating new players into the game.
In an episode where Lee Sung-kyung had appeared as a guest, the regular cast members, including Kim Jong-kook, had discussed the difficulties faced by new golfers versus the ones who were seasoned amateurs.
What term was used by Kim Jong-kook, leading to a correction from Lee Sung-kyung?
Kim Jong-kook had addressed the above difficulty and said that it was the responsibility of the seasoned players to initiate the guests that they invited to play golf correctly:
"When someone is putting their head on for the first time, others who invited them out need to explain the terms properly."
After hearing this, About Time actor Sung-kyung said that she had stopped using the term 'putting the head on' ever since she learned the actual meaning:
"About the phrase 'Put your head on.' It is a term that I have stopped using since I learned what it means."
She then explained to the cast of the SeriMoney show the meaning of the term dating back to the old days:
"The term 'Put one's head on' was used to describe when gis**ngs-in-training (a traditional Korean name for professional courtesans in the Joseon era) would fulfill their first job and become a professional gisaeng."
It must be noted that there are a few meanings to this term. The first one is the literal meaning for women to wrap their braids around their heads. This was a sign of their marital status at the time.
At the same time, this term is also used to refer to the first time a woman became a gis**ng.
Why did Lee Sung-kyung's comments cause controversy?
Netizens reportedly called out Lee Sung-kyung for being disrespectful and bringing up topics unrelated to the conversation about golf. According to AllKpop, many fans took to social networking sites to call her out for showing off that she was smart when it was unnecessary.
Her comments started a debate online about the usage of the term as well. Quite a few fans of the K-Drama actor were shocked by the root of the phrase. They supported Lee Sung-kyung and said that it would be better to steer clear of words with such negative connotations.
How did Kim Jong-kook react to Lee Sung-kyung's input?
Jong-kook seemed shocked and explained where he had first heard the term being used:
"I thought 'Put the head on' in golf meant that someone was playing golf for the first time, as in they're putting their golf ball on the tee for the first time?"
Lee Sung-kyung seemed to understand this, and she said that she had also heard the term used in the same context, adding:
"It would be better if people could come up with safer terms for golf".
Neither Kim Jong-kook nor Lee Sung-kyung have reacted to the online reactions to this conversation between them.