Cha Eun-woo, Participated in 'Thanks to Challenge' Publicly... But Went to 'Itaewon Entertainment Venues' Privately

ASTRO member Cha Eun-woo. Photo by Cha Eun-woo Instagram post capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Cha Eun-woo, a member of the group ASTRO, is facing public backlash for his contradictory attitude after it was revealed that he visited entertainment venues in Itaewon, Seoul during the social distancing period, while also participating in the 'Thanks to You Challenge,' a campaign expressing gratitude to medical staff fighting COVID-19.

Cha Eun-woo's agency Fantagio issued an official statement on the 18th, confirming "It has been verified that Cha Eun-woo visited Itaewon," and apologized, saying, "We are sorry for causing concern by failing to uphold the promise of 'social distancing' due to our management negligence."

They added, "Cha Eun-woo did not visit the locations that became problematic due to confirmed cases in early May, and after inquiring with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency about whether he was subject to COVID-19 testing, we were informed that testing is not mandatory if there are no symptoms. However, for the health and safety of the artist and those around him, he has already undergone testing at a screening clinic and received a negative result," they explained.

Earlier, Dispatch reported that BTS's Jungkook, ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo, NCT's Jaehyun, and Seventeen's Mingyu visited entertainment venues in Itaewon, Seoul, from the evening of April 25th to the early morning of April 26th.

According to the report, they visited two entertainment venues and a restaurant in Itaewon during a period when 'intensive social distancing' was emphasized. They were tested for COVID-19 afterward and received negative results. However, considering the incubation period, they should have been cautious for at least two weeks (until May 10th), but Cha Eun-woo reportedly continued his broadcasting activities.

Cha Eun-woo appeared on 'Cultwo Show' and 'Hidden Track' on May 7th for ASTRO's comeback, and on May 8th and 9th, he participated in music programs 'Music Bank' and 'Show! Music Core.'

Notably, Cha Eun-woo participated in the 'Thanks to You Challenge,' a relay campaign expressing gratitude to medical staff working hard to overcome COVID-19, on May 2nd.

On that day, he posted on his Instagram, saying, "Thanks to the frontline medical staff and related personnel who are fighting against COVID-19 and protecting the country and its people, I believe the bodies and minds of the people are gradually finding stability. I sincerely thank and respect the dedication and hard work of the medical staff who are striving for the safety of the people."

Netizens who learned of this news could not hide their disappointment in Cha Eun-woo. He had been very popular for his upright and sincere image.

Netizens reacted with comments such as, "How shameless to join the Thanks to You Challenge after visiting Itaewon," "Hiding the Itaewon visit and continuing schedules considering the incubation period is a huge nuisance," "His broadcast image does not match this situation at all," "The medical staff are going to suffer more because of this, apologize," and "If he had any conscience, he would have practiced social distancing and then participated in the challenge."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.