Numerous Male Stars Exposed for Online Sexual Harassment Towards Kwon Eun-bi
On February 2, K-netizens discovered that actors Kim Min-seok, Kim Sung-cheol, and singer Kim Min-seok (MeloMance) were involved in online sexual harassment towards female idol Kwon Eun-bi.
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Stars Accused of Interacting with Harassing Account
The three stars interacted with an account that posted body-shaming clips and made sexually harassing comments about female idols.
Actor Kim Sung-cheol and MeloMance’s Kim Min-seok were found participating in inappropriate polls about Kwon Eunbi on the account. Meanwhile, actor Kim Min-seok commented on a video of Kwon Eun-bi’s performance at Waterbomb posted by the account, saying, “Red is for Manchester, hmm…”
Netizens quickly shared screenshots of these interactions, leading to widespread criticism. Some netizens expressed confusion, questioning how the stars did not recognize their actions as sexual harassment. Others demanded they use private accounts instead of engaging with such accounts publicly.
In response to the harassment, netizens reported the account, resulting in Instagram swiftly removing it.
Misunderstanding Surrounds Actor Kim Min-seok’s Comment
However, the controversy surrounding actor Kim Min-seok was a misunderstanding that was wrongly interpreted as sexual harassment. A Twitter user flagged his comment “Red is for Manchester, hmm…” as inappropriate, accusing him of making a sexually harassing remark related to a post that focused on Kwon Eun-bi’s body. The accuser claimed that Kim Min-seok’s comment, in reference to Kwon Eunbi wearing red in the post, was an act of sexual harassment.
The post Kim Min-seok commented on was actually a video from Kwon Eun-bi’s performance where she wasn’t wearing red. The post came from a soccer-related account, and his comment “Red is for Manchester” was simply a reference to the color of his favorite team, Manchester United.
It was later revealed that the post was from 2023, and the accuser had intentionally cropped the screenshot to misrepresent Kim Min-seok’s comment and falsely accuse him of sexual harassment. After realizing the mistake, the accuser deleted the post and clarified that there was no intent to deceive. Despite this, the accusation had already spread widely, reaching international fans and leading to hateful comments on Kim Min-seok’s personal account.
Despite the backlash, none of the involved stars have yet to comment on the incident.