[Herald Economy = Reporter Kim Sung-hoon] British rock band Coldplay jokingly mentioned during their first concert in South Korea in eight years that they would like to “recommend a president.” This remark has led Na Kyung-won, a presidential candidate for the People Power Party, to create a promotional video featuring herself, which has sparked controversy.
On the 20th, Na posted a video titled ‘@coldplay’ on her YouTube channel.
The video parodies a part of Coldplay’s concert held on the 18th. During the concert, Coldplay’s vocalist and frontman Chris Martin remarked, “Whenever Coldplay visits Korea, there seems to be no president,” adding, “While it’s good that everyone has equal rights, I understand the need for a president.” He then humorously suggested drummer Will Champion as a candidate for Korean president.
Coldplay held its first concert in Korea in April 2017, around the time when the presidential seat was vacant due to former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. Coincidentally, they referred to the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-youl during their recent concert.
In her video, Na swapped her face with drummer Will Champion’s during the segment where Chris Martin suggests a presidential candidate, adding captions like, “We declare one person as the next president. The one who took the drum challenge, Na Kyung-won,” and, “Na Kyung-won makes it to the semifinals, to the finals, she is the president.”
Na concluded the video by responding, “Thank you, Coldplay. I will definitely attend your next concert in Korea.”
Previously, Na shared a photo of herself inside a drum barrel, stating, “It’s a reality where movies can’t just be seen as movies. Many citizens are trembling over this ‘drum barrel politics,'” and launched a “drum barrel challenge” aimed at Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party presidential primary candidate.
After the video was posted, online commenters reacted with, “Coldplay doesn’t actually support her; what is she doing?” “This distorts Coldplay’s statement. It could become an international issue,” and “It’s blatant manipulation.”