Luxury Portrayals Spark Public Backlash
Television personalities Do Kyung-wan and Brian Joo faced public criticism over forced thrift portrayals, starnewskorea.com reported. Broadcaster Do Kyung-wan recently appeared on the KBS 2TV variety program Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant, where he complained of financial hardship while living in a 120-billion-won penthouse.
The couple previously drew media attention for purchasing the luxury penthouse entirely in cash. During the broadcast, Do claimed his bank balance sat at 250,000 won and demonstrated extreme saving habits, such as telling his children to reuse toilet water and turning off home air conditioning to visit an apartment lobby for cooling. Viewers expressed alienation after Do noted his monthly maintenance fee reached 1.5 million won, prompting civil complaints to the Korea Communications Standards Commission.
Brian Joo Defends Luxury Purchases
Singer Brian Joo faced similar scrutiny after promoting a frugal image despite showcasing a massive two-story home with a basement. The property featured an outdoor swimming pool and gym, with construction costs exceeding 2 billion won excluding land and furniture expenses, as revealed during his appearance on SBS’s My Little Old Boy.
Brian uploaded a YouTube video to his channel The Brian titled How Brian, Who Poured All His Wealth Into His House, Smartly Scores Luxury Goods. In the video, he defended his spending habits by displaying a collection of luxury items accumulated over 40 years. He stated he purchased an 8-million-won rare bag for 3 million won through a sales associate and bought a 4-million-won suitcase for a discounted price to give as a birthday gift, asserting that heavy discounts qualified him as a thrifty person.
Viewers file complaints over celebrity financial complaints and luxury spending
Why did Do Kyung-wan face complaints to media regulators?
Viewers filed civil complaints with the Korea Communications Standards Commission after Do complained about financial hardship and a 250,000-won bank balance while residing in a 120-billion-won penthouse with monthly maintenance fees totaling 1.5 million won.
How much did Brian Joo spend on his home construction?
Brian stated that construction costs alone for his two-story house with a basement exceeded 2 billion won, not including land and furniture expenses.
What discounts did Brian claim on luxury items?
Brian stated he bought an 8-million-won rare bag for 3 million won and a 4-million-won suitcase at a discount, arguing that the steep discounts justified his frugal image.