"I never dreamed it was a place to honor the souls of dead children."
Actress and influencer Choi Jun-hee, daughter of the late Choi Jin-sil, recently spoke out about the controversy surrounding her wedding photo location in Japan. She expressed her feelings of injustice, stating that she had no awareness of the significance of the shooting location.
The controversy began when Choi Jun-hee's wedding photos spread through online communities. It was revealed that the stone statues appearing in the background of the photos were part of a 'Mizuko Kuyo' space in Japan, meant to soothe the souls of stillborn or miscarried children, leading to criticism that it was inappropriate as a backdrop for a wedding photo announcing a new beginning.
In response, Choi Jun-hee immediately clarified the situation. She stated, "I only shot at a location designated by a Korean artist with extensive experience in Japan," and refuted, "As someone who is not familiar with Tokyo's geography, I had no way of knowing what significance that place held." She also apologized for causing controversy, saying, "My only experience visiting Japan was when I was in kindergarten in Osaka, so I was ignorant of Japanese culture."
She also expressed her feelings of injustice regarding the leak of the photos. Choi Jun-hee explained, "I have never officially released those photos, and a reporter took them without permission to report on them." She continued, "It was just one of over nine sponsored shoots," and pleaded for the indiscriminate criticism and harassment to stop.
She also shared her reasons for deciding to get married. She said, "After going through a difficult childhood, I wanted to create a warm environment," and expressed her determination to live strongly as a wife, no longer just as someone's daughter. Additionally, she requested that people refrain from baseless speculation since her fiancé is a non-celebrity.
Meanwhile, Choi Jun-hee is set to marry a non-celebrity who is 11 years her senior at a hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, on May 16.
