Singer Lee Mujin's rude behavior towards event staff during the rehearsal for the '2025 Cheonan K-Culture Expo' has recently come to light, and his agency has finally spoken out. To protect the artist, they indicated a strong response to the organizers and stated a firm position.
Lee Mujin's agency, Big Planet Made Entertainment, released an official statement on the 5th stating, "We deeply regret the inappropriate behavior and rude responses from on-site staff towards Lee Mujin during the rehearsal process on the event day" and added, "We recognize the seriousness of this matter and plan to take a strong response towards the event organizers and the production company in order to protect our artist."
The incident occurred during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the '2025 Cheonan K-Culture Expo' on the 4th. While Lee Mujin was checking the stage during the rehearsal, a staff member abruptly interrupted the performance with remarks like, "Stop it. What are you doing?" and raised his voice, saying, "I will give you time to manage the sound during the performance. The next team is waiting," forcing him to leave the stage.
The bewildered expression of Lee Mujin was captured on the cameras of the audience present, and this footage quickly spread on social media, sparking controversy. Some fans expressed their anger, stating, "This is not an attitude towards an artist," and "This is a management that lacks basic courtesy," while the organizers' announcement of a 'SNS upload ban' was perceived as an attempt to cover up the incident, drawing further criticism.
Ultimately, the Cheonan K-Culture Expo promotion committee issued an official apology and began damage control, but public sentiment did not easily subside. In particular, fans continued to respond sharply, stating, "We need genuine actions, not a formal apology," and questioned, "Is this really the level of 'K-Culture'?"
Lee Mujin's side emphasized, "We will take all necessary measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future," and added, "We apologize to our fans for the inconvenience caused. We will do our best to ensure that artists can work in a safe and respectful environment."
There are also voices of self-reflection rising, stating that "the basic etiquette and respect at the event site are the starting point for protecting artists." Lee Mujin completed his scheduled performance, but there are calls for urgent improvements regarding overall performance culture and on-site response systems following this incident.
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