P1Harmony′s Keeho Apologizes For His Remarks About Unemployed People
P1Harmony member Keeho recently faced some backlash because of a remark he made about unemployed people.
Keeho is active on the fan communication app Fromm, where subscribers can be in a group chat with their favorite idols. On May 11, some of the messages he sent on the app drew negative attention from the internet after an anonymous poster uploaded screenshots on an internet forum. Keeho had sent his fans a series of short texts, talking about how he often wonders about the lives of the people he sees on the street.
Sometimes I think a lot about the lives of people who walk on the street while I’m riding in the car. I wonder what kind of life they are living. When I see students, I wonder if they’re having fun at school or whether school was hard for them today. I wonder what they’re majoring in. It’s fun to imagine them living a life that I can’t ever experience or understand.
—Keeho’s messages above
He said that he tries to imagine life from the perspective of a student or an office employee, wondering if they are happy with where they are in life, hoping they are.
When I see employees, I wonder what dreams they had and whether they’re happy with their jobs right now. If they’re happy, that’s really great.
—Keeho’s messages above
He also said that when he sees unemployed people, he wonders what their parents do professionally.
When I see unemployed people, I often wonder about what kind of work their parents do. LOL.
—Keeho’s messages above
This remark, in particular, ticked off some people, who interpreted it as Keeho being disrespectful to unemployed people. The backlash got so severe that the idol took notice and clarified his intent in a new message on Fromm. He explained that he didn’t imply anything negative when he talked about unemployed people and apologized to those upset by his comment.
I didn’t mean to say what I said earlier in a negative way, but it seems like it was misunderstood… I’m sorry… I’ll be more careful not to make P1eces upset…
—Keeho’s messages above
After his apology was posted by a fan on a Korean forum, most netizens came to his defense, saying that there was nothing malicious in what he had said initially. But a few felt that the comment was unfitting in the context of idol-fan communication.
- “Even if I was unemployed, I don’t think I would’ve been mad at his post regardless of whether or not he said something stupid previously.”
- “I read the post in question, and I don’t think he had any bad intentions behind the post. Is it because he said, ‘parents are rich’?”
- “After reading the OP, I also have the same thoughts.”
- “I don’t see why not. Nothing wrong with thinking things like that.”
- “You could say those things with friends, but I don’t think idols should talk about those things…it could just end up being food for the malicious commenters.”
- “I didn’t think anything of the post….”
- “Why can’t idols just say what they want? Those are thoughts anyone can think of..”
- “Why does he have to get bashed for this?”
- “(To post 371) I guess he’s someone that has made a lot of mistakes.”
- “I guess he’s someone that talks without filtering through first.”
- “I guess it was a bad call on his part, considering the problem with youth unemployment.”
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