SF9 Dawon, School Violence Accuser Controversy... FNC "One-sided and Distorted Claims"

Member Dawon of the idol group SF9.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Dawon (25, real name Lee Sang-hyuk), a member of the idol group SF9, has been accused of being a perpetrator of school violence, but his agency has stated that the allegations are "groundless."

On the 15th, SF9's agency FNC released an official statement saying, "We confirmed immediately after a post claiming Dawon's involvement in school violence appeared on social networking services (SNS). The claim is one-sided and distorted," adding, "The related allegations are groundless."

Earlier, on the 14th, a person identified as A, who claimed to be Dawon's elementary and middle school classmate, alleged that they were a victim of school violence by Dawon. A proved their classmate relationship with Dawon using elementary school graduation albums and other evidence.

A stated, "My mind was blank. In my memory, the bullying was clear, and it was you who attended elementary and middle school with me. On the day we graduated middle school, I was happy thinking, 'Ah, finally goodbye to those who bullied me,'" and added, "But now that almost 10 years have passed and we have grown up, I see you again."

They continued, "If you see this post, never say you are sorry or regret it," and said, "My childhood days were filled with inferiority and fear toward you," adding, "Some might ask why I didn't report it, but back then, even when teachers saw the bullying, they just scolded a few times and kept it quiet."

Meanwhile, Dawon was previously involved in controversy on the 12th for showing a lack of sincerity in the digital studio M2 YouTube channel's content 'Relay Dance.'

Relay Dance is a content format where idol groups line up and perform dances in a relay style, showcasing synchronized choreography, and it is loved by idol fans.

However, after SF9's Relay Dance was released, some netizens criticized Dawon for "performing the choreography with a lack of sincerity."

In response, on the 13th, Dawon apologized during an Instagram live broadcast, saying, "There were various opinions about the Relay Dance. I misunderstood the content. I felt I should address this because many of you seemed upset," adding, "What you said is correct. It might have made viewers uncomfortable. From now on, I will show my best effort in each content according to its purpose."