The Boyz’s Sunwoo ‘speechless’ over character backlash

The Boyz's member Sunwoo / Captured from Sunwoo's social media

Sunwoo of the K-pop group The Boyz has once again spoken out about a viral video that sparked an online backlash regarding his character, saying he was shocked by the wave of criticism based on what he called a misinterpreted moment.

The controversy began when a short video clip spread online showing Sunwoo dropping his AirPods while walking. He was heard exclaiming, “My AirPods!” before pausing. A security guard then picked them up and handed them to him with both hands, while Sunwoo received them with one hand. The absence of a visible expression of gratitude drew criticism from some viewers, who interpreted the interaction as disrespectful.

On Saturday, Sunwoo addressed the issue on a fan communication platform. “I saw the video, and honestly, I understand how it looks like I took it without bowing or showing manners. I was looking for it with my eyes and couldn’t find it. When it was handed to me, I did say ‘thank you’ but didn’t bow. I’ll make sure to act properly so these misunderstandings don’t happen again.”

On Sunday, he reiterated his frustration. “Even behind the scenes I would never act like that. Do people think I’d actually yell at a bodyguard to pick something up for me in front of fans? That’s absurd. I was trying to reflect on how I appeared, but it’s just a few seconds of video, and the way people are leaving such harsh comments … it’s scary," he wrote.

“At some point, it has to stop. I could’ve just stayed silent, but I felt like it would rot inside me if I didn’t say something. I know some of The B (our fandom) might not like even this kind of response, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m used to getting hate. Don’t worry about me — I’m fine. People who’ve only seen me for a few seconds might be upset, but those who’ve followed me for years know who I really am.”

Sunwoo also vowed to prevent future misunderstandings. “I’ll make sure that even in passing moments, people think, ‘He seems like a gentleman,’ so that The B never has to defend me like this again. I know this is something I have to keep working on.”

Meanwhile, former After School member Nana left a comment on the original video that read, “He needs to be scolded.” Her remark also drew backlash. On Sunday, she addressed the issue in her fan community, writing, “It’s wrong to judge a person based on a short video. I wasn’t judging his character, but his behavior seemed very disrespectful and the video was quite shocking to me.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.