"Residents' Group Denies Unauthorized Entry Allegation in 'Fireworks Festival Wine' Incident"

Apartment Fireworks Festival 'Troublesome Spectators' Post Spreads
"They Are Residents"... Direct Explanation from the Person Involved
"Original Poster Confirmed Them as Residents but Posted Distorted Content," Claim

On the 5th, a photo was posted on an online community with the caption, "Fireworks festival nuisance. Trespassing into someone else's apartment in Yeouido and watching the fireworks festival with a wine glass in the hallway in front of someone else's house." [Photo source = captured from an online community]

Amid public outrage over a 'nuisance spectator' who allegedly trespassed into a nearby apartment to drink wine while watching the 'Seoul International Fireworks Festival' held over the past five days in the Yeouido area of Seoul, the person involved has come forward to clarify the misunderstanding.

Earlier on the 5th, a post appeared on an online community stating, "Fireworks festival nuisance. Trespassing into someone else's apartment in Yeouido and watching the fireworks festival with a wine glass in the hallway in front of their home. Unbelievable." The photo showed people enjoying wine using the hallway fence of a corridor-style apartment as a table. The post quickly spread online, drawing harsh criticism from netizens.

As the controversy grew, the person accused of being a nuisance spectator directly addressed the misunderstanding. On the 7th, Mr. A posted on an online community, saying, "Our photo has been wrongly spread across various communities and news outlets, causing misunderstandings, so I am writing this to correct the record." He lamented, "A post claiming that outsiders trespassed into the apartment to drink wine while watching the fireworks festival included our photo, and this post has been widely shared in news articles and communities."

"Invited by residents to watch the fireworks together... Not trespassing"

On the afternoon of the 5th, fireworks decorated the autumn night at the '2024 Seoul World Fireworks Festival' held at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding the suspicion of 'trespassing,' Mr. A explained, "I was invited by a resident living on that floor of the apartment to come watch the fireworks festival together." He continued, "Before watching the fireworks, we had dinner at home and opened a bottle of wine, and we were watching the fireworks holding the wine glasses we were drinking from." He described the situation at the time. He added, "While watching the fireworks and chatting, an older lady approached us and asked us to be quiet because she was filming the fireworks. After that, we whispered or only spoke during moments without fireworks while watching the festival. Moreover, the place where we were was not even in front of the lady's home."

Mr. A said, "However, even after that, the lady kept wandering around asking if we were residents here." He added, "It seemed she was not really filming but was using the filming as an excuse to approach us, possibly worried that someone who was not a resident was in the hallway. Although she said she was filming the festival, I felt like she was filming our side, not the Hangang Park, and then she posted such a post." He expressed his disbelief.

He explained, "She kept watching us until we went inside, and only after confirming that we had entered did she go inside herself." He then asked, "What part of this was so uncomfortable? Was it uncomfortable that we were drinking wine in a common area? Or was it that she came to confront us thinking we were not residents but felt embarrassed when she found out we were?" He added, "If there was any discomfort, I apologize for that part."

Mr. A claims, "Even after confirming we were residents and guests, the post was distorted and published"

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. [Photo source=Pixabay]

Mr. A stated, "However, it is very surprising that even after confirming that we were residents and guests, the post was distorted as if they did not know and was posted on a cafe and reported to the media." He added, "The post was made at 9 p.m., after they had confirmed we were residents. After that, they also reported it to the media. This situation is very unpleasant for me."

He concluded, "At first, I thought about just letting it go, but as the situation became too much of a topic and seemed to be causing unnecessary conflict, I decided to write this. If you correct the post now and delete the photos of me and my friends taken without permission, I will not pursue the matter any further."

Netizens who read the post responded with various comments such as, "Why did they post such a thing knowing they were residents?" "If true, the original poster is so pitiful," "Did they just want attention?" "The homeowner and friends saw it, so what's the problem with posting?" "As expected, they did a good job of playing neutral," "No one knows if this post is true or not," "Original poster, show yourself," and "Time to delete the comments."