BTS' Jin, K-pop stars wear neutral tones to dodge party-color scrutiny on election day

BTS member Jin and several other Korean celebrities arrived at polling stations Wednesday in deliberately neutral-colored outfits, steering clear of red and blue — the signature hues of South Korea's two largest political parties — as the country held local elections and parliamentary by-elections.

The wardrobe caution reflects a recurring phenomenon in South Korean celebrity culture in which fans and online critics scrutinize voting-day outfits for any hue resembling a party's signature color — a dynamic that Korean-American communities abroad follow closely as K-pop fandom and Korean politics intersect on social media.

Jin voted at a polling station in Seoul's Hannam-dong neighborhood in a gray top, gray pants and a black cap, the Korea Times reported. The neutral ensemble bypassed both red and blue, avoiding any suggestion of alignment with either major party.

Actor Jin Tae-hyun and actress Park Si-eun posted a joint selfie showing the couple in black-and-white athletic wear after casting their ballots, the newspaper reported, citing its sister publication Hankook Ilbo. K-pop girl group Odd Youth also shared a commemorative voting photo featuring four Korean members dressed in neutral-colored outfits.

Not every celebrity escaped controversy. Rapper Lee Young-ji drew online criticism during early voting — held the preceding Friday and Saturday — after posting photos in red clothing while wearing red-dyed hair, according to the Korea Times. She dyed her hair black and apologized the following day.

Fromis_9 member Baek Ji-heon similarly attracted viewer comments when she appeared in blue clothing during early voting, the newspaper reported. She changed into darker attire after the remarks spread.

South Korea's two dominant parties are tightly identified with their colors: red for the conservative People Power Party and blue for the liberal Democratic Party of Korea. The association makes any celebrity appearance in those hues a lightning rod for partisan interpretation during election season, the Korea Times noted.

South Korea held local elections and parliamentary by-elections Wednesday; early voting took place the preceding Friday and Saturday.