The controversy surrounding travel YouTuber KwakTube (real name Kwak Jun-bin) has intensified after he defended former APRIL member Lee Na-eun, who has faced school bullying allegations.
Recently, a netizen filed a complaint requesting the cancellation of KwakTube's talk concert at the '2024 Busan International Travel Fair', hosted by the Busan Metropolitan City and organized by the Busan Tourism Association. The complaint highlighted that KwakTube had planned to share his travel experiences freely at the event, but the recent controversies made it difficult for attendees to resonate with his performance. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education has made the video titled '2024 School Violence Prevention Campaign - Finding the Ability Representatives' private on its official YouTube channel, reflecting swift public sentiment towards KwakTube's comments.
On the 16th, KwakTube uploaded a video titled 'My Romantic Week in Italy' on his YouTube channel, discussing the bullying allegations involving Lee Na-eun. In the video, he mentioned that he had blocked her on social media due to nervousness about bullying discussions, later expressing regret after reading articles stating otherwise. Lee Na-eun also shared her feelings, noting how disappointed she was about the misunderstandings and the prevalence of such situations.
As the backlash grew, KwakTube issued an apology acknowledging that he hadn’t considered certain aspects before posting the video. He emphasized his commitment to reflecting on his feelings to ensure they did not represent everyone’s views. Previously, Lee Na-eun was embroiled in controversy in 2020 regarding allegations of bullying within the group, with former member Lee Hyun-joo stating that she had been mistreated during her time in APRIL.
At that time, the prosecution determined that while there were aspects of bullying, it was challenging to classify them definitively under law, leading to a decision not to prosecute. Lee Na-eun has also been identified as a perpetrator in school violence accusations, with her agency DSP Media suing an individual for defamation related to false allegations of bullying. Each of these developments contributes to the ongoing scrutiny of public figures in the K-pop industry.