"Agency Absence Notice"... GwakTube Cancels Events One After Another, Following Busan, Now Asan

"Reflected" Repeated Apologies Yet the Fallout Continues

Events featuring travel YouTuber and broadcaster KwakTube (real name Kwak Jun-bin), who sparked controversy by making remarks seemingly defending actress Lee Na-eun amid allegations of ostracizing fellow members during their girl group activities, are being canceled one after another.

On the 24th, the organizers of the 'Chungnam Asan Peak Time Festival 2024' announced, "We have received a final notice from KwakTube's agency that, considering both the artist and the organizers' circumstances, he will not be able to participate in the event," adding, "After much deliberation, the organizers understood the situation and reached an amicable agreement."

They continued, "Following the cancellation of KwakTube's appearance, all pre-booked tickets will be fully refunded without any fees, and we plan to strengthen safety management while seeking replacement artists."

KwakTube was scheduled to participate in the event held at the outdoor music hall of Sinjeongho National Tourist Site in Asan, Chungnam, on the 27th and 28th. However, due to the recent controversy, the schedule was ultimately canceled.

Travel YouTuber and broadcaster GwakTube. [Image source=GwakTube Instagram capture]

Currently, events where KwakTube was expected to appear are being canceled one after another. The day before, the 'Busan International Travel Fair' announced on its official website, "The 'Talk Concert with Travel YouTuber KwakTube,' scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday the 28th, has been canceled due to unavoidable circumstances."

On the 17th, the Ministry of Education's school violence prevention campaign advertisement featuring KwakTube, titled '2024 School Violence Prevention Campaign ? Finding the Hidden Talent,' was made private. The video aimed to encourage interest in friends suffering from school violence, empathize with their pain, and promote early reporting to prevent school violence.

Meanwhile, the controversy arose after KwakTube uploaded a video of his trip to Italy with Lee Na-eun on his YouTube channel 'KwakTube' on the 16th. In the video, KwakTube said to Lee Na-eun, "Whenever the topic of school violence came up, I got really sensitive and immediately blocked you, but I saw articles saying that wasn’t true," adding, "As a victim, I shared many stories, but I felt like I was causing harm to someone who was actually misunderstood."

Some viewers criticized KwakTube, accusing him of defending Lee Na-eun, whose involvement in the group's 'bullying incident' allegations has not been resolved.

As the controversy grew, KwakTube posted an apology. On the 18th, he wrote on his YouTube channel community, "I sincerely apologize for causing discomfort to many people by uploading and then making the Italy video private," adding, "I have reflected deeply on my shortcomings through this incident. From now on, I will act with greater responsibility and be more cautious in everything I do to avoid words or actions that could hurt others."

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