Controversy at a University Festival in Chungnam
Festival MC and Student Council Issue Apology Statement
At a university festival in Chungnam, controversy arose after water bottles that members of the invited girl group Oh My Girl drank from were given out as prizes in a talent show. As the controversy grew, the festival host and the university's student council issued apologies.
On the 24th, videos and photos capturing the festival performance held on the night of the 22nd at a university in Chungnam were posted on online communities and social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). Oh My Girl members, who attended as invited singers, performed for 30 minutes, singing hits like "Dun Dun Dance." The issue occurred after Oh My Girl's stage ended. During the performance, the members drank water from bottled water to quench their thirst, and then the festival host gave those water bottles as prizes to students during the talent show segment.
Videos from the scene posted on X show a male host holding a microphone calling male students onto the stage and handing out the water bottles that the members drank from as prizes. Among the audience, reactions like "What are you going to do with that?" were heard, but the host mentioned the name of one of the Oh My Girl members (indicating the bottle belonged to that member) and handed it to a person standing next to him on stage. The video also clearly shows the host bending down to look at several water bottles placed on the floor, seemingly choosing one.
As criticism arose regarding the host’s inappropriate behavior, on the 25th, the university’s student council and the event host posted apologies on Instagram. Mr. A, who hosted the event, said, "I apologize for distributing the water that Oh My Girl members drank to the students at the end of the festival," adding, "What I thought would be a memorable gesture caused harm to someone. Please blame me for this immature handling." He also mentioned, "Students who participated in the talent show came out to receive gifts, not water bottles, and some were embarrassed because the gift was an Oh My Girl water bottle." Finally, Mr. A added, "I would appreciate it if the video would no longer be circulated."
The university student council also stated, "We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable and were harmed due to the host’s inappropriate handling during this festival," and added, "This incident was an unexpected action by the host that was not agreed upon by the school or performers, and we sincerely apologize to Oh My Girl and their fans for the unforeseen event after the performance." They further said, "We deeply apologize once again to the students for damaging the school's reputation due to this incident," and promised, "We will ensure thorough management in the upcoming festival schedules."
Despite these apologies, comments criticizing the apology continue, including remarks such as "What kind of thoughts do you have about female idols to do such a thing without hesitation?" and "This is disgusting."
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