Recently, Super Junior (슈퍼주니어) gained the attention of the entire internet when all 15 members were spotted attending Ryeowook’s (려욱) wedding. Yet, that attention remained fixed upon current member Leeteuk (이특) as well as former member Kangin (강인).
During the romantic occasion, Leeteuk was spotted making a speech and addressing the guests about Kangin’s situation. “Kangin spent more time reflecting than he did during his active career. Please forgive him and support him so he can make a living” he said. His speech instantly sparked an outrage among netizens online.
In case you didn’t know, former Super Junior member Kangin had been embroiled in several cases for almost 8 years. In 2009 and 2016 respectively, he was involved in a hit-and-run situation as well as for driving under alcohol influence, leading him to receive a fine. Not just that, later in 2017, he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend at a restaurant. As a result, he made the decision to officially leave Super Junior in July 2019.
With his history of repeated controversies, netizens find it quite difficult to welcome him back into the industry, believing that his habits will never die. The very notion worsened when Leeteuk’s speech circulated, angering Korean netizens as the idol’s statement seemed to not take Kangin’s crimes seriously. One user commented, “Nope. Go and do something else. He could get certified in Excel“.
However, a few international netizens expressed disagreement with Leeteuk’s action, claiming he was actually being playful towards Kangin as that is their nature when they’re together. A handful of fans also stated that the entirety of this sprouted from netizens’ personal hate towards the former idol alone while saying he committed those crimes years ago.
The hate possibly ensued further as the 39-year-old announced his upcoming paid subscription site for fans to have access to his personal content, hinting at his comeback to the industry. It is known that he has been testing the waters since last year when creating a YouTube channel to share his camping adventures, which received comments from fans demanding his comeback.
What do you think? Should Kangin be forgiven for his past or should he leave the music industry and pursue a new career in a different field? Share with us your thoughts!
Check out the speech below!
LT: everyone, you’re now seeing Kangin, whose self-reflection time is longer than promotion time. pls forgive Kangin now~ Kangin, who’s reflecting for 15yrs & promoted for 5yrs
SD: it’s so nice seeing everyone’s laughing & chatting like this
LT: on this happy & great day(cont) pic.twitter.com/kwjWZcTOur
— Cynthia 🧞♂️ (@zhaoguixian) May 26, 2024
Sources: Twitter, Koreaboo.
Ariani Soraya contributed to this article.
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