Super Junior’s Choi Si-won is not only one of South Korea’s most recognizable idols. Besides singing, he has built a career as an actor and even served in humanitarian roles, first as UNICEF Korea’s special representative from 2015 to 2019, and later as UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office ambassador in November 2019.
Alongside his professional achievements, Si-won has never shied away from speaking about his Christian faith. But this devotion has now placed him at the center of a storm of controversy.
When Charlie Kirk was shot, Si-won took to Instagram to share what he called a personal tribute to the American conservative activist who had just passed away. The post, however, quickly turned into one of the most polarizing moments of his career, sparking heated debate over the intersection of faith, politics, and celebrity responsibility in an era where even the most private sentiments can go global within seconds.
This time, he does it again.
And again, many of his fans are angry.
Super Junior’s Choi Si-won is again amid controversy after he reposted an Instagram reel depicting Nigerians praying even as their church was allegedly attacked. The repost came with this caption:
He followed it up with a Bible verse from Isaiah 60:3 in Korean:
Many saw in this move more than an expression of grief: critics accused him of religious bias or Islamophobia for framing the message in terms that foreground Christian suffering against “Islamists."
The fact that his post singled out a religious identity while referring to violent acts added fuel to the backlash.
Across social media, fans and netizens raised pointed questions: Why had Si-won not similarly spoken out about suffering in predominantly Christian communities under conflict?
Why was the post focused on Christian pain, and not Muslim victims under other conflicts? In Gaza for example, tens of thousands of people are killed, most of whom were Muslims, including children.
And not to mention that a big chunk of Si-won's fanbase is based are Muslims, like the many millions who came from Indonesia.
What's more, people began sharing photos of Si-won with Yariv Ben-Ezra, an Israeli commander of the Judea Regional Brigade (Hebron area). It's allegedly said that the commander was one of those who ordered the rapes of Palestinian women in Gaza under the guise of searching for SIM cards.
Some accused him of hypocrisy of selectively using suffering when it aligns with a narrative.
Others took issue with his use of the term “Islamists,” saying it conflates extremist ideology with all Muslims and frames religion as a cause of violence rather than extremism as a distortion of faith.
Adding to the weight of the controversy is the context of Nigeria itself. The country has endured persistent violence targeting Christian communities, especially in the Middle Belt and northern states. From August 2025, attackers in the Aye-Twar region of Benue State destroyed churches and homes, prompting mass displacement.
Reports show that Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians, with an average of 30 Christians killed daily in recent months.
But the intensity of the backlash isn’t just about violence or faith. Instead, it's about Si-won's tone, framing, and consistency.
Many fans felt Si-won’s message lacked balance; some saw it as amplifying a narrative where Christian suffering is elevated over others’. The controversy has reignited the #SIWON_OUT movement, with new calls for his removal from Super Junior.
At the heart of the uproar lies the tension that all global idols risk: how to express personal faith without alienating part of a diverse fan base.
With religion, politics, and fandom all mixing, even a single post can become a flashpoint.
