[Exclusive] "That person is the broadcaster"… Park Su-in's Day [Golf Course Timeline]

Revealing Conversations with Park Su-in, Caddies, and Golf Course Officials Not Covered in Previous Reports
No 'Gap' Exists, Only 'Eul' Remains in the Controversy

Actor Park Su-in is holding a press conference to clarify the golf course power abuse issue on the 30th at the Cyprus Hall of the 63 Convention Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I'm the one on that broadcast. Can I be ignored?" (Park Suin)

A call came into the golf course. A woman expressed strong dissatisfaction with the caddie and asked to speak to the person involved. She wanted to receive an apology directly. She also demanded punishment for the caddie. The golf course apologized on their behalf. At a self-initiated press conference, she insisted she was thoroughly the 'underdog' as an "unknown actress" and claimed she had been wronged, but it was Park Suin herself who first revealed she was an actress. The golf course then said they only then accurately realized she was an actress.

Park Suin held a press conference on the 30th of last month to express her grievances. She publicly claimed that the exclusive report by this paper was false and demanded a correction. However, the initial report by this paper was based on thorough multi-angle investigation. Therefore, this article details conversations with the caddie, golf course officials, and Park Suin that were not included in the previous report. (The dialogue is reconstructed by synthesizing statements from Park Suin, the caddie, and other parties involved.)

June 19, 2020

"They came as a group: three men and one woman. The woman was Park Suin. Since the shot distance was about 50 meters, she had to hit 5 to 6 times per hole to catch up with the men in her party. Naturally, the pace slowed down. We received text messages from the team behind urging us to hurry. I was anxious to clear the course quickly. Usually, golfers arrive at the course early, but Park Suin kept chatting with her party. Since the long hole was empty, I indirectly suggested she walk once, but I think she felt offended." (Caddie)

Park Suin "'Why is that lady like that? Why is she rushing people when we're being held up?'"

Park Suin said this loudly enough for the caddie nearby to hear, addressing her companion sitting beside her.

Caddie "I was anxious because the long hole was empty. I'm sorry."

Companion "(To Park Suin) Stop it. The caddie must be upset."

After that, the caddie did not urge Park Suin's party anymore. The caddie, who has worked as a golf assistant for 15 years and experienced various situations, said she quickly realized the party was upset. With the intention to finish safely, she refrained from any conversation unrelated to the game. At the last hole of the front nine, the team ahead was finishing the green.

Park Suin "(To her party) Look at this. We'll meet the team ahead anyway."

The caddie was certain that Park Suin was upset with her. She had to be cautious and pay special attention to her behavior. Usually, when golfers are dissatisfied with a caddie, they request a replacement, which can immediately lead to restrictions on playing and reduced income, so the caddie was likely more nervous.

Caddie "Is there any problem?"

When Park Suin was not around, the caddie asked her party.

Companion "Ah, it's because she's a celebrity and gets special treatment. Haha."

The party rather comforted the caddie. The pace slowed further in the back nine to allow the entire hole to clear. The team ahead even called expressing concern, which is rare, making the caddie anxious.

"Please cooperate with the pace." (Team text)

The caddie had to receive texts at every hole.

"Although I was anxious, the golfers treated me like an invisible person and had no intention to help with the pace. I felt sorry for the team behind, but I stayed quiet to avoid trouble with the guests." (Caddie)

The caddie was worried about being replaced and was cautious. However, Park Suin did not request a caddie replacement, nor did anyone in her party. After finishing the game, Park Suin paid the green fee by credit card installment.

"It was a gathering where I met many people for the first time through acquaintances. I couldn't possibly ask for a caddie replacement in front of those people. The meeting continued with dinner, so I couldn't say anything." (Park Suin)

After returning home, Park Suin went to bed but was so troubled she couldn't sleep. She said she felt angry and wronged.

June 20, 2020

Park Suin called the golf course the next day, saying she wanted an apology from the caddie.

"Dear customer, we apologize if you were inconvenienced." (Golf course staff)

Park Suin wanted to speak directly with the caddie and demanded an apology. The golf course apologized as the service provider but could not disclose the caddie's personal information. They judged it inappropriate to incite disputes between customers and caddies. Park Suin continued to call the golf course to receive an apology from the caddie.

"We cannot hang up on the customer first." (Golf course staff)

When her request for the caddie's phone number was denied, Park Suin held the phone silently for 3 to 5 minutes at times. Then she talked for a long time again. The calls continued for dozens of times afterward.

"The golf course said they couldn't give me the number. I felt insulted and wronged by their unfriendly attitude. When I asked if I had to just accept being ignored like this, they said there was no way and hung up." (Park Suin)

Afterward, the golf course began investigating the circumstances surrounding the complaint about the caddie. They explained that verifying the facts of a complaint is a standard procedure, regardless of whether the complainant is a broadcast actress like Park Suin or not.

"Each caddie has their own style. The golf course is generally aware of this. The customer said the caddie kept urging to speed up the game, but the caddie is not usually like that. It was puzzling. Still, since a complaint was filed, we investigated. The caddie was unaware that the customer's dissatisfaction was so great as to file an official complaint the day after the game. Park Suin explained that her shot distance was less than 50 meters and that she kept taking selfies. Confirmations from other officials also made it difficult to clearly identify the caddie's fault." (Golf course staff)

Park Suin's calls continued.

Park Suin "Since the caddie did a poor job, you should refund the caddie fee."

At the press conference, Park Suin claimed, "I did not initially demand a refund from the golf course. In the last call, I said I couldn't live being ignored like this, so I asked for a refund as a last resort."

"Park Suin called and asked what could be done instead of just saying sorry, and she kept demanding a refund." (Golf course staff)

Although she stated at the press conference that she asked for a refund only once in the last call, this is somewhat different. After learning that Park Suin was making dozens of calls, the caddie asked the golf course to tell her that she would refund the caddie fee if more calls came. After that, no more calls were made.

June 28, 2020

"Please do not go to Shilla CC. The golf course is trash, and the caddies are very rude and a complete mess."

Park Suin posted this on a portal site bulletin board. On her SNS, she posted several photos taken at the golf course with bright smiles. (These photos were all deleted after the article was published.) She tagged 'ShillaCC' and 'rudeness.' At the press conference, Park Suin bowed her head regarding this.

"I was careless as a public figure, and I would like to apologize here." (Park Suin)

Park Suin posted several photos taken at the golf course on her Instagram, also tagging "Not taken by me."

"The photos on Instagram were taken during meals." (Park Suin)

However, at the press conference, her position changed. She claimed that the only photos taken were group photos before play and group photos in front of the sunset in the back nine, and that no photos were taken during play.

Below are photos posted on SNS eight days after the game. Her bright smile and excited steps stand out. This contrasts sharply with her claim that she was in a bad mood throughout the game, was so angry she couldn't sleep the night of the game, and that from the next day she could not endure the grievance and demanded the caddie's phone number and a direct apology from the golf course. Since the blue sky is visible in the photos, it is unclear whether these were taken after the group photo in front of the sunset in the back nine as she stated at the press conference.

July 22, 2020

This paper conducted interviews with multiple golf course staff who spoke with Park Suin and the caddie, then requested an interview with Park Suin for fact verification. A call was made that afternoon but was not answered. Since she often does not answer unknown numbers or is busy with schedules, a text message was sent to request an interview.

"This is Asia Economy reporter Lee Isul. I am calling to ask a few questions regarding Shilla CC golf course. Please contact me." (Text message)

The message was sent at 3 p.m. Since the reporter identified herself and requested cooperation, it was expected that Park Suin would respond after checking. However, no contact came even past midnight. The lack of response despite missed calls and message receipt indicates no intention to cooperate with the interview. Silence is also a form of expressing a position. It can only be interpreted as not caring if an article is published without her input.

Nevertheless, the article could not mention her real name. As Park Suin said, she was an "actress auditioning alone without an agency." It was judged appropriate to protect her identity. (This paper also reported subsequent articles anonymously.)

Exactly two hours after the report was published, a call came in.

Park Suin "I don't usually check texts or calls well. So I didn't see it yesterday. That's just my style. All my acquaintances know that."

During the call, Park Suin changed her statement.

Park Suin "(I thought) the text wasn't that important..."

However, at the press conference on the 30th, she stated in a press release, "The reporter only called once, and there was no effort to verify facts, so there is no substantial reason to believe the article is true, and it appears to be subject to criminal punishment." Park Suin, accompanied by a lawyer at the press conference, not only denied the article but also threatened criminal prosecution.

A 'correction' in an article means rectifying false information. However, an article written after thorough investigation cannot be corrected based solely on one-sided claims of grievance. This was clearly stated in her own call. After the first report, this paper re-verified facts based on Park Suin's statements. Meanwhile, Park Suin expressed her grievances through multiple interviews with various media, and many articles were published.

July 23, 2020

Reporter "Why did you not respond to our initial interview request but are now actively giving interviews to other media?"

Park Suin "(After Asia Economy's first report) The first reporter is someone I trust like a manager. I thought they would convey my position well, so I agreed. I also said I would reveal my real name."

Afterward, Park Suin repeatedly called this paper, demanding her position be included. She asked to remove the term 'gapjil' (power abuse), but this paper never used that term in the initial report (the label 'gapjil actress' was rather amplified by her revealing her name and multiple interviews with other media). Even while writing follow-up articles covering her position, she kept calling and repeating the same statements.

Park Suin "Feeling ignored is stressful. It was an unfair situation. I even paid with my own money. Yet I was insulted, so I couldn't just let it go. (Omitted) I regret not speaking up on site. I've never seen a caddie like that. She was rude. The caddie lied. My party heard everything."

Reporter "Please don't speak informally. This is an interview."

(30 minutes later, another call)

Park Suin "Don't say anything, just listen to me! Please link my statement at the bottom of the original article as a related article so it appears on the site. Why does only the first report keep appearing on the portal? Please link the article with my statement below. (Omitted) I will file a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission."

Reporter "That's something the portal handles, not me. I will cover your position in follow-up articles as you have already explained. Please hang up so I can write the article."

(Omitted)

Park Suin "Would you have treated me like this even if I were a famous actress?"

This paper fully heard Park Suin's rebuttal. Since her position was not heard in the first report, it was judged appropriate to cover her statements in follow-up articles, regardless of whether she is a famous actress or not.

Below is the July 24 report covering Park Suin's rebuttal.

Park Suin said, "The caddie urged me to hurry during the game using informal speech, which made me angry. Even though two teams ahead of us were delayed, she urged us. The distance was about 50 meters, but I was upset and never took the cart. I think the caddie saw me as young. She picked faults from A to Z. I felt ignored and hurried to the next course. I never spoke informally."

She said she became angrier after returning home. "I was so angry I couldn't sleep. I eventually called the golf course the next day to demand a refund. What I really wanted was an apology from the caddie and appropriate action from the company. The golf course said they would penalize the caddie, but I couldn't verify that. So I posted on Instagram and the golf course bulletin board after consulting with people around me."

Park emphasized, "This is the first time I've ever posted a complaint. I was so angry and upset that I even took a photo of the receipt. Moreover, no action was taken regarding my complaint, so I am still eager to receive a refund and an apology from the caddie."

Actor Park Su-in is holding a press conference to clarify the golf course power abuse issue on the 30th at the Cypress Hall of the 63 Convention Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

July 30, 2020

Park Suin held a press conference at 4 p.m. at the 63 Convention Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, accompanied by a lawyer. The reporter attended in person and reported her statements as is. (This paper announces that on this day, it first used the name 'Park Suin' instead of 'the actress at the golf course' in its articles.)

Two days before the press conference, Park Suin sent messages via text and online messenger to multiple reporters asking them to attend. She also posted on her SNS. She made thorough preparations, including hiring a lawyer and renting the 63 Convention Cypress Hall.

However, she did not follow COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection) prevention guidelines. Procedures such as temperature checks, seat distancing, health questionnaires, and visitor logs were not conducted during the press conference. It appears she prioritized expressing her grievances over the safety of many. Since about 50 to 60 reporters gathered indoors, compliance with government recommendations was necessary.

Especially since visitor logs were omitted, if a COVID-19 case occurs, tracking attendees would be impossible. Yeongdeungpo Public Health Center stated, "Assemblies must be reported to authorities beforehand, but no report was received. We will investigate the individual and the failure to comply with prevention rules." Yeongdeungpo District Office said, "We have confirmed the situation and will send an official letter to the facility to ensure compliance with prevention guidelines."

"If I were truly the powerful one, would I endure this? My dream was brutally trampled by false reports, and I want to reveal the truth. My father, who is battling illness, worries about me seeing his daughter embroiled in controversy..." (Park Suin)

"On the field, the caddie is in a subordinate position. If a refund is requested, we have no choice but to comply. She keeps saying she was ignored. Even though she did nothing wrong, now when I go out to meet customers, I feel very intimidated and cautious. I don't know how to continue working..." (Caddie)

It has been confirmed that the caddie took sick leave due to significant shock from Park Suin's press conference.

Park Suin voiced her position fully at the press conference. Although Park Suin's claims and rebuttals were already widely reported by many media before the press conference, attempts to include the caddie's voice are almost nonexistent. The caddie, whose main job is to assist golfers and who lives as the 'lowest of the low,' cannot hold a press conference to appeal to the public like Park Suin. Is it reasonable and fair for an actress to hold an official press conference to appeal her grievances to the entire nation and even seek judicial judgment against someone in such a subordinate position? The reporter is the only one who heard the caddie's voice and thus conveyed both sides' perspectives. It is up to the readers to judge which claim is correct.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.