While one cannot judge a person entirely from a single instance, it is evident from the sincere advice of a senior that his 'character' can be somewhat inferred. Although he faced criticism from just a few seconds of video, his subsequent statements led to even greater disappointment.
After suffering a critical blow from the worsening public opinion, the agency issued an apology on his behalf, and he also belatedly bowed his head, but it seems difficult to restore his image. The timing felt forced, raising doubts about his sincerity; this is Sunwoo from 'The Boyz.'
Recently, Sunwoo became embroiled in a 'character controversy' due to a video posted on a social media platform (SNS). The video, titled “Idols scream and the bodyguard rushes,” shows a bodyguard picking up the AirPods that Sunwoo dropped.
The issue arose when Sunwoo, realizing he had dropped his wireless earphones while trying to enter an elevator, only shouted “My AirPods!” loudly without showing any intention to pick them up himself. A bodyguard nearby approached him, picked up the AirPods, and handed them to him, to which Sunwoo received them with one hand without any (thankful) greeting.
As the video spread online and controversy arose, Sunwoo explained, “I was confused and didn’t know what had fallen, but when I realized it was my AirPods, I looked for them and said ‘my AirPods’,” adding, “I received them without bowing my head and said ‘thank you’.”
While the matter of expressing gratitude is certainly important, the fundamental issue was that it seemed natural for him to resolve his mistake or behavior through someone else, which is problematic. Moreover, if he didn’t even express gratitude properly, it could only be seen as more unlikable.
Nana, an actress from the long-established group After School, spoke out directly. She commented on Sunwoo's video, “He needs to be scolded,” and “You can tell a lot from one instance,” prompting some of Sunwoo's fans to bombard her account with comments like “It’s really disappointing to judge someone based on just a few seconds of video” and “The Boyz's Sunwoo should write an apology.” However, the majority opinion was that Nana's criticism was quite reasonable.
Nana stated, “While looking at the dropped AirPods, he loudly said ‘my AirPods’ for everyone to hear, yet he didn’t take a single step to pick them up,” adding, “It could be misunderstood, so I watched the video again. I don’t know who he is, but if someone like that was next to me, I would have said the same thing. ‘He needs to be scolded!’ and added, ‘Where did you learn such behavior?’”
Finally, Sunwoo himself stepped up. It would have been nice if he had shown a mature response at that point, but instead, he engaged in a war of words with the public, saying things like “Am I crazy?” “This is nonsense” “Ugh, disgusting!” “I want to throw up” “It’s annoying.”
He expressed his frustration, saying, “Would I shout at the bodyguard to pick up my AirPods with all the fans in front of me? This is nonsense. I tried to reflect on how it appeared, but I’m being criticized for saying what I wanted to say to those who crossed the line with their hateful comments based on just a few seconds of video... People are really scary.”
The issue was not that he shouted at the bodyguard. If he had realized he dropped his belongings, he could have simply picked them up himself instead of loudly announcing it and then receiving help from the bodyguard, without properly expressing gratitude to the point where misunderstandings arose. Receiving it carelessly with one hand and walking away could appear arrogant, and the excessive dependency on others was the real problem.
Despite this, Sunwoo still seemed unaware of the main issue, stating, “You should know your limits and either stay quiet or speak up. If I don’t say anything, it feels like it will fester. I find it ridiculous to hurt the Derby (The Boyz fandom) with ignorant words, and if I had superpowers, I would want to throw Hawaiian pizza at all of them out of frustration. Ugh, disgusting. I won’t mention it again.”
Of course, one cannot judge a person based on a short video. It is difficult to understand everything from just one instance. It can be frightening and unfair to face sudden criticism and blame. However, the instinctive behavior he showed in that situation was indeed quite rude. If there was a misunderstanding, he could have clarified it; if he felt wronged, he could have expressed those feelings, and even offered an apology, all calmly and accurately. It’s not like he didn’t have an agency to support him.
As his image plummeted, the agency stepped in first, and Sunwoo also released an apology. Unfortunately, it was only after reaching a point where there was no other choice.
He stated, “Because I am lacking, I couldn’t respond maturely from the beginning, and my actions and words, which were meant to defend myself from the excessive criticism, ended up hurting many people,” adding, “I will prove over time that I am not that kind of person and that I truly value and cherish relationships and feelings between people.”
It would have been better if he had acted sooner, or at least refrained from making the earlier statements. Since it all started from a video that could easily lead to misunderstandings in just a few seconds, it could have been corrected sufficiently. It could have ended as a mere incident. However, he escalated the situation himself. The key to restoring his image and winning back the public's heart ultimately lies with him. His actions were not due to madness but rather a form of immaturity in some sense.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
