Red Velvet's Seulgi Issues Apology After Facing Backlash For Behavior Toward Staff

Red Velvet’s Seulgi recently faced criticism after a video emerged showing her swapping shoes with her manager at the airport.

The incident, which occurred as the group arrived in Taiwan for a festival performance, quickly gained traction online and became a hot topic on South Korean forums, including Pann and TheQoo.

seulgi's heels before changing — Seulgi’s heels before changing. | *@/X (formerly known as Twitter)*

In the video, Seulgi can be seen wearing different shoes after exchanging them with her manager. The size difference then caused the manager to be in visible discomfort. Fans and netizens expressed their disappointment, feeling sympathy for the staff member who had to endure the uncomfortable footwear.

The manager is wearing #seulgi's shoes 🥹😘🐻 pic.twitter.com/atjdw1b5kF

— i love seulgi cosmic in eyes😘🐻👰‍♀️🇰🇷 (@myseulgi0210) July 12, 2024

The backlash prompted Seulgi to swiftly address the situation publicly.

seulgi sneakers after changing — Seulgis sneakers after changing.

The Red Velvet star took to her personal Instagram to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.

seulgi 28reasons_210 — | *@28reasons_210/X (formerly known as Twitter)*

In her statement, Seulgi expressed regret for her actions and assured fans that she had apologized personally to her manager. She pledged to be more mindful in the future to prevent similar incidents.

“I apologize to my manager and many others for the incident at the airport yesterday.

Recently, while practicing, I developed blisters and wounds on my feet. Since the shoes I wore at the airport did not have very high heels, I thought it would be fine and neglected to bring an extra pair of sneakers, which was careless of me.

As I walked, my feet started to slide around and hurt more. And upon arriving in Kaohsiung, my manager saw how difficult it was for me to walk and suggested that I switch shoes with her only until we left the airport to avoid straining myself before the performance.

I was in pain, so I couldn’t think of another solution and made a poor decision in the moment. I apologize to those who were disappointed and feel nothing but regret for upsetting my manager with this incident.

I have apologized to my manager personally and will be more cautious and attentive to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.”

— Red Velvet’s Seulgi