Actor Kim Sung-cheol / Courtesy of Story J Company

Actor Kim Sung-cheol apologized after being involved in controversy for participating in a girl group preference poll.

A representative from his agency, Story J Company, spoke to The Hankook Ilbo on Monday and said, "We acknowledge our mistake. Kim Sung-cheol deeply regrets his actions and is sincerely sorry."

The representative added, "He was unaware that the account was controversial and withdrew his participation as soon as he realized. Since this involved content concerning other artists, we understand that some individuals were affected. We apologize to those impacted and have conveyed Kim's apology through the agency."

The agency also stated, "Moving forward, he will be more cautious to ensure that such a mistake is not repeated."

The controversy arose when Kim participated in a poll posted by a social media account ranking girl group members. Criticism intensified because the account had previously used slow-motion effects to highlight certain body features of the idols in a provocative manner. Amid mounting backlash, Kim and his agency admitted fault and issued a public apology.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.