The organizers of the 'Cheonan K-Culture Expo 2025' have issued a formal apology to singer Lee Mu jin after a staff member was accused of treating the artist rudely during a rehearsal.
On June 5, the organizing committee released a statement through the event’s official social media channels, saying: "An unfortunate incident occurred during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony performance due to a communication issue among on-site staff. We sincerely apologize to the audience and fans."
The statement further explained: "After the incident, the staff member in question issued a polite apology to the artist and related parties. We have issued a strong warning to the event agency and the individual involved, and have conducted internal training to prevent any recurrence."
"We once again express our heartfelt apologies to the artist, the fans, and all attendees who were affected."
The controversy erupted on June 4, when Lee Mu Jin was interrupted during his rehearsal by an on-site staff member who allegedly said in a commanding tone, “Stop. What do you think you're doing?” The staff member reportedly added, “We’ll give you time to check the audio during the actual performance. The next team is waiting,” causing visible discomfort and confusion for the singer.
Videos capturing the moment were taken by fans in the audience and quickly spread across social media, sparking public outrage. In response, the event staff reportedly made a venue-wide announcement warning attendees not to upload photos or videos of the rehearsal online, which drew further criticism for attempting to suppress the controversy.
The 'Cheonan K-Culture Expo 2025' is hosted and organized by the city of Cheonan, the Independence Hall of Korea, and the Cheonan Cultural Foundation.
Below is the full statement from the event organizers: “An unfortunate incident occurred during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony performance due to a communication issue among on-site staff. We sincerely apologize to the audience and fans.
After the incident, the staff member involved issued a respectful apology to the artist and their team. In order to prevent similar occurrences, we have issued a strong warning to the event agency and the staff member, along with conducting internal education. We offer our sincerest apologies once again to the artist, fans, and everyone present at the venue.”
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