University student council apologizes over giving girl group's used water bottles away as prizes

Girl group Oh My Girl / Courtesy of WM Entertainment

A recent festival at a university in South Chungcheong Province has sparked controversy over the sexual objectification of women after water bottles used by the girl group Oh My Girl, were given away as prizes during a talent show.

Despite apologies from the university's student council and the master of ceremonies of the event, criticism continues to mount.

On May 26, several videos were posted on social media platforms showing Oh My Girl performing at a university festival in Asan, South Chungcheong Province on May 22.

After Oh My Girl's performance, the host invited male students onto the stage for a talent show, where they were rewarded with the water bottles that the group had drunk from.

The host asked one of the male students, "Whose bottle do you want?" The student named a specific member, and the host scrutinized the bottles as if they were labeled before handing one over while calling out the name of a different member.

Videos of the event captured the audience's reactions, with students expressing negative sentiments such as, "What's the point of taking that?" and "That's perverted."

Both the host and the male student who received the bottle faced criticism.

In response to the backlash, the student council and the host issued apologies the following day via the student council's social media.

The host explained, "I mistakenly thought it would be a memorable gesture, but it ended up causing harm. Some students who participated in the talent show expected different prizes, and they were surprised to receive Oh My Girl's water bottles." The host added, "This happened due to my poor judgment, so please criticize me, not the students."

The event host is seen selecting water bottles used by the girl group Oh My Girl at a university festival in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Captured from X

The student council, which organized the festival, also issued a statement: "We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable and were affected by the inappropriate proceedings at the festival."

It said the incident was an unplanned action by the host and was not coordinated with the university or the performers.

"We sincerely apologize to Oh My Girl and their fans for the unexpected incident that occurred after the performance," it said.

However, the apologies have not quelled the criticism. Social media is abuzz with comments such as, "What kind of mindset do you have about idols and women to do something like that?" "One person's mistake has such a large impact," "Is this really the level of a university festival? It's so low-class," and "This isn't even a fetish, I don't understand why this happened."

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