RIIZE member Seunghan broke down in tears at his first appearance with the group after a public apology for his recent ‘kissing scandal‘. The group members were attending a pre-recording session for the M! Countdown show on Aug 31, 2023 in preparation for their debut next week.
Social media messages shared by fans who attended the pre-recording stated that Seunghan burst into tears when it was time for him to address the crowd. The group had just finished their performance and were lining up to give a message to their fans.
When it came to Seunghan’s turn to speak, several fans in the crowd shouted that they loved him. This caused the 19-year-old to begin to say: “I’m sorry for bringing this up in a place like this”, before “stopping and bursting into tears”.
According to one fan, group mate Sungchan then hugged the sobbing Seunghan. The other RIIZE members appeared to be at a loss for words. Shotaro then appeared to say that the group should do their closing remarks, which they did before exiting the stage.
RIIZE fans ready to forgive Seunghan?
The response by Korean fans to Seunghan’s emotional outburst has been mixed. However, it appears that more fans seem willing to forgive him following his apology. On Aug 30, he apologized to fans, admitting that he had “damaged the team” just as they were to debut.
He also promised to make RIIZE his priority moving forward. 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.”
His apology appears to have soothed some of the anger felt by the fanbase. When a RIIZE fan proposed raising funds for a broadcast truck with a message calling for Seunghan to leave the group, their suggestion was largely criticized. Some fans voiced concerns that the situation was “overblown”. They appeared willing to wait and see Seunghan prove his committment to the group.
The reaction from international RIIZE fans to the ‘kissing scandal’ has been largely supportive of Seunghan. Many are willing to forgive him for his “mistake”, and promise to support the group in the future.
RIIZE is currently preparing for the release of their debut single album Get A Guitar on Sept 4.
READ | Seunghan apologizes to RIIZE fans, agency promises legal action