RIIZE member Seunghan has finally addressed his recent ‘kissing scandal’, by posting a public apology on the group’s Instagram account. Fans had been waiting for him to respond after a series of photographs were leaked on Aug 27, 2023. The photos showed Seunghan kissing an unidentified girl, who was alleged to be his ex-girlfriend.
The photos caused a stir within the RIIZE fandom, and Seunghan came under fire from Korean fans. Many voiced their disappointment, taking at as a sign that he was not serious about debuting as an idol. However, international fans were less critical of Seunghan, saying they would continue to support RIIZE.
On Aug 29, SM Entertainment announced that due to “poor health”, Seunghan would miss the group’s NPOP pre-recording session. While fans sent their wishes for Seunghan’s speedy recovery, many believed that the ‘kissing scandal’ was the real reason for his absence.
Seunghan apologizes, will focus on RIIZE
In his statement, Seunghan began by apologizing to fans. “I damaged the team with a personal matter in a very important and crucial moment ahead of my debut,” he wrote.
He added that he had disappointed his group mates and staff members. He also apologized for not responding sooner, and said that he had reflected upon his past actions.
“From now on, I will make RIIZE my priority,” he wrote. “I will be a little more cautious in every situation I end up in, as well as onstage with RIIZE. I will do my best to make you feel my sincerity towards the team and the fans through my actions.”
Fans flooded the comments with messages of love and support for Seunghan. Many said that he had nothing to apologize for, as he was just being a “normal teenager”.
SM Entertainment vows legal action
At the same time, SM Entertainment released their own statement saying they had begun legal action against those who had spread the photos. They said the photos were “an act of unauthorized leakage and distribution” that was a clear violation of the law.
The agency said they were collecting data on all those who spread the photos, and would file complaints “where crimes are confirmed”. A quick check on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that at the time of writing, the original account that shared the photos is still active. A second account, which alleged that Seunghan’s girlfriend was underage, has since been deleted.
They also confirmed that Seunghan was taking time to reflect upon how his actions disappointed the fans. The agency promised to manage and support RIIZE more closely in the future so they could focus on their activities.
RIIZE is currently preparing for the release of their debut single album Get A Guitar on Sept 4.
We want to wish Seunghan and RIIZE all the best. We hope that they will be able to overcome this challenge and focus on making their debut a success!
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