7-Member Boy Group Member Resells Fan Gifts
"Didn't Want to Ask Parents for Money... Sorry"
A member of a 7-member boy group actively promoting in Korea has sparked controversy after it was revealed that he sold gifts given by fans on a secondhand marketplace.
On the 28th, a post titled "Idol Selling Gifts Given by Fans on a Secondhand Market" was uploaded on an online community and quickly spread. The author, A, who identified themselves as a fan of the idol, exposed a post uploaded last month by member B of a certain boy group on a secondhand marketplace app, along with some of their text message conversations.
A 7-member idol group member B selling a gift received from a fan on a secondhand marketplace. [Photo by Online Community]
In mid-last month, B used an internet secondhand trading app to sell a branded top gifted by a fan for 150,000 KRW. In the product description, B explained the reason for selling: "I personally bought this in Japan this fall for about 270,000 to 280,000 KRW. After one wash, the printing peeled off a bit, so I stopped wearing it and am selling it cheaply."
A 7-member idol group member B selling a gift received from a fan on a secondhand marketplace. [Photo by Online Community]
After discovering the post, A contacted B via private message. B apologized, saying, "At the end of the year, I had a lot on my mind and many worries. At times like that, I relieved stress by buying things I wanted. But I felt too ashamed to ask my parents for money, so I acted without much thought. I am sorry."
A explained the reason for the exposure, saying, "I was grateful that he trusted me and told me everything, so I tried not to expose him, and honestly, I was happy because of him, so I tried to endure it. But I felt that this was the only way to sort things out, so I posted it." It is also known that B posted other gifts given by fans on the secondhand marketplace besides the top gifted by A.
Netizens who saw the post reacted with comments such as, "Only the fans ended up feeling sorry," "This is disrespectful to the fans," "How upset must fans have been to find clothes they gave on a secondhand market," and "When someone you liked turns away, that's the scariest thing."
On the other hand, some netizens responded, "Once you give a gift, that's the end of it. What someone does with a gifted item is their personal choice," "I understand the idol's position. I have an acquaintance in the entertainment industry who said it's tough without regular income," and "I doubt if they are really a fan."
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