NCT’s Taeyong personally apologizes to classmate he bullied, no ill intent with homophobic comment

[snowphone.livejournal.com]

NCT Taeyong met up with his middle school classmate on October 11 to apologize for bullying him

The apology was accepted, and both sides are supporting each other's futurehttps://t.co/klNyFaZMXq pic.twitter.com/w7Q8Jc2Sir

— mes #TeamPinky (@OH_mes2) October 12, 2019

Recently Taeyong was criticized in an anonymous post that said he wrote a homophobic comment about a classmate in their graduation album. The comment reads:

Everyone was so fun and everyone has such good personalities and I believe that everyone will make it big. But. [Name of student blacked out] won’t make it because [she/he] is gay. I can be sure of that.

Wikitree has clarified that Taeyong was close with the person he wrote it to, "so there were no bad feelings at all from it."

---

Additionally, his latest bullying scandal from mid-September was addressed in the same Wikitree article. Apparently he victim sent SM Entertainment an email saying that they would like an apology in person, but there was no reply from SM. However, after Taeyong returned from the United States on October 11, he decided to meet with one of the victims; reporter(s) from Wikitree were apparently present to report what follows. (***edit: my first impression was that the details of the meeting must have been experienced first-hand by reporters, but i realize now that the account could have been related second-hand by either or both of the parties present.) Taeyong admitted to his actions, and apologized to the victim directly. The victim shed tears, while they sat in silence for nearly one hour. After calming down, the victim faced Taeyong again. Taeyong was the first person to say something, bowing his head in apology. He admitted to his past wrongdoings, and apologized. "Honestly, I have never once felt at ease because of this," Taeyong is reported to have said. "Every day, dozens of times, I think ‘why was I like that’ and feel regret.”

Eventually, after more than 2 hours of talking with each other, the victim reportedly decided to forgive Taeyong. “At that time," Taeyong is reported to have said, "I was very poor with how I expressed myself. I would like to sincerely apologize for my thoughtless remarks and actions when I was younger. I am very sorry.”

SME also released a statement:

Recently, Taeyong personally apologized to his friend from middle school that was hurt by his mistakes, including his senseless words and actions. The friend accepted Taeyong’s apology, and they both cheered each other on for their growth in their respective futures.
In addition, Taeyong expressed his regret to his friend who was unable to get in contact with him. Taeyong will not forget about his past, and use it as a way to help show him how to grow up and become a better person, and act properly with a humble mindset. Thank you.

Sources: wikitree.co.kr via @OH_mes2 | asianjunkie

Comments

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Here's also the full translation/article from koreaboo: https://www.koreaboo.com/news/nct-taeyong-admits-bullying-personally-apologizes-middle-school-classmates-hurt-actions/

[bubble-monkey9.livejournal.com]

I don't think he or sm understands why that message was offensive. it doesn't matter if he wrote it about a friend.

[pepsi-twist9.livejournal.com]

I imagine most people don't tbh. A lot of people I know in real life living in Canada give me the "oh, you're offended by that?" When they say homophobic remarks. It's wild because I always thought that kind of behaviour was prevalent in people on the internet that want to be loud about it - I didn't think it was so common

[revedesnuages.livejournal.com]

Did the victim agree to having a reporter there?

I think having a reporter witness and record the whole exchange really brings doubt to the sincerity of the apology, like it was just done for PR.

[adenar.livejournal.com]

Add to this it only says 'one of the victims' like, so there were more? Did they reach out to them?

[greasetastic-x.livejournal.com]

my only hope is that he's grown in the like 10 plus years since middle school

weird to have reporters there tho. I also don't really agree with digging up something someone did over a decade ago (and in middle school no less) because shocking thought people can evolve and become better but best believe if they exhibit the behavior again in more recent times they're overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

I've never been a fan of him, I cancelled him when the scammer rumors came out. I've talked about this with a friend a few days ago and she still supports him because he was young when he said those things, we all make mistakes, maybe he wanted to apologize but couldn't contact the person, ... it was a trip.

Of course he apologized (or SM made him do so) now that Super M is promoting in the US. He did not care all these years before.
"Honestly, I have never once felt at ease because of this," Taeyong is reported to have said. "Every day, dozens of times, I think ‘why was I like that’ and feel regret.”
lol

[lizanka23.livejournal.com]

yeah i think it's due to them promoting in the US especially the gay comment since idols usually mention LGBT or hold up Pride flags at overseas concerts only

[mntsuklaa.livejournal.com]

It's nice that he met up with them and apologized in person, however:
reporter(s) from Wikitree were apparently present to report what follows <--- Why the fuck?? It's a personal matter, let them handle it in private. If they (mostly Taeyong/SM) feel the need to let everybody know that this took place, they could've just put out a statement later.
As long as he's managed to pull his head out of his ass and stops being a douche I have no problem with him.

[snowphone.livejournal.com]

full disclosure, that was my comment and my interpretation of the article when i read it. i will edit in a comment about what i've written, because it's unclear how the reporters came by the information about the meeting between taeyong and the student. it could be that the two were alone and one or both of them gave an account of what transcribed.

[pseudo-shigure.livejournal.com]

maybe he has changed, idk. but from SM pov i find it weird that they push him so much. i feel like with his past, he'd face a lot of case like this that i thought sm would let him just be one of the "background member"

[alterlife.livejournal.com]

Ngl I would let present day taeyong bully me

[lizanka23.livejournal.com]

What is wrong with you??

[lizanka23.livejournal.com]

it's good that he apologized to his friend directly and apparently the media wasn't present there but that non-apology for the gay comment lol. it's not just about your individual friend who saw the comment but how now plenty of your gay fans have seen it now. he should be apologizing to the lgbt community.

apparently at a SuperM fansign though recently he was nice to a gay fan and even called himself his boyfriend but i don't know if this is just part of his redemption PR campaign right now/fan service or his attitudes towards gay people have actually changed

[snowphone.livejournal.com]

do we know that media wasn't there?

[binderwritings.livejournal.com]

His fans have soured me on him. I don't mind a problematic fave but geez the excuses and allowances he's granted for being "young" grinds my gears. Glad the victim got their apology, I guess. It's better late and forced than never.

The gay thing is overall offensive but I hardly expect different from a teenaged boy. I just can't at the he was just joking with a friend thing though.

[thebloomroom.livejournal.com]

Yikes he had another scandal?

[hallyujah.livejournal.com]

It's just Part 47 of "Taeyong was an asshole in Middle School"

Idc he's still scammed his way into my heart.

[belintuchiha.livejournal.com]

I have to laugh.

[snowphone.livejournal.com]

yeah i'm defs confused by that move on sm's part

[gigabytexx.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer someone can change, even within 2 years. Even if he was a bully during trainee days it was also quite a lot of years ago wasn't it? He may looked tough on MVs but I've watched several casual videos of him and I think he's quite soft & adorable, the other members said he took care of the younger kids and I wanna believe it's sincere. His past will still haunt him everytime but I wonder how many apologize do he needs to make before they go away :/
The answer is probably never.

[dantethetaco.livejournal.com]

I mean, until everyone he has caused trouble to is at peace with what happened seems like a reasonable thing.

[meggicchi.livejournal.com]

I just can't bring myself to feel sorry for school bullies, ppl don't realize how much bullying can ruin lives. Regardless if he's changed or not, it's not like it's ever going to matter to him anyway, his fans will keep defending him and he's gonna stay rich.

[jyushimatsu.livejournal.com]

ia

[vintage-boom.livejournal.com]

I'll say that having followed them since pre-debut, he's been really transparent about how regretful he is over his past, even before this came out, and publicly talked about wanting to make it right/asking for forgiveness. The behavior hasn't continued and he seems to be putting in an effort to not be that person so I hope that's genuine for his own sake.

Hopefully all the people he's hurt who want an apology get one.

[iviih.livejournal.com]

"he's been really transparent about how regretful he is over his past, even before this came out, and publicly talked about wanting to make it right/asking for forgiveness"

So, can you explain why he never meet the victim in person and apologised since the beggining? it has been months.

The victim was pretty vocal she had not receive a real apologise and wanted one. She kept sending emails to SM, and had to expose it in internet to get her apologise.

It took long, until it got pretty big, to him finally decide to go in person (with reports to take pictures), to show how he was regretful?

If he really wanted to make it right and ask for forgiveness, why he and SM ignored the victim that wanted a sincere apologize in person from him? They even let the victim suffer more with his fans calling her a liar and threating to sue her.

If he really want to make it right, why he and SM instead of just apologising for the homophobic comment, why are they trying to excuse it by saying the guy he "joked" with was close friend, so he was okay with it.

No, he could still apologise for it (not being generic "I said bad stuff when I was young, but really adress it, because his statement and "joke" hurt other LGBT fans.)

Can you show me he being remorsefull before his first scam rumor was out?
I'm asking where is the proof he talked and apologising before it all got exposed, not saying generic statements like "in the past I said hurtful things" because this is just good PR.

[pepsi-twist9.livejournal.com]

This is one of those situations where I personally think he's changes but also don't feel anything about anyone not liking him for these past situations. They're hardly a no matter so I won't begrudge anyone who won't care to listen to him/stan him.

[vintage-boom.livejournal.com]

yea this is how i feel

[ironmangina.livejournal.com]

Just btw, with how the Korean school system is structured, when one graduates from middle school there, they’re usually around 15 or 16. Only clarifying because a lot of people seem to think he was like 12 when he did this.

[queenhinata.livejournal.com]

wow...

[rainstormraider.livejournal.com]

Usually I would say throw away this trash but you do a lot of shit when you’re young and stupid.

However I can in no way think he is worthy of a redemption arc until the people who he bullied feel like they can forgive him. If they can’t, the rest of us don’t need to and we should not force them into forgiving him either.

[suggestivepeach.livejournal.com]

See, I was a lot more forgiving when I thought he was just a dumb little kid for saying this because a lot of the boys when I was a tween were also dumb and pretty shitty. But 15-16? Ehhhhh he should have known better, but ppl do change and that still is quite young. I’m sure hes genuinely apologetic and regretful. His past always being there to haunt him is good enough punishment imo.

[swhyeon1991.livejournal.com]

Every thing from and after "The victim shed tears [...]" sounds like straight out of wattpad wtf idk what to feel about that whole thing.

[suggestivepeach.livejournal.com]

Yeah the whole thing in general reads as a bit.... emotionally manipulative

[aeipathy.livejournal.com]

"Wikitree has clarified that Taeyong was close with the person he wrote it to, "so there were no bad feelings at all from it."

so it was basically him making an "lol ur so gay bro" joke to his straight friend? highly doubt his friend was out as gay in korean middle school, and even on the slim chance they were what a weird "joke".

even if he appears to have changed i don't trust him, he might just be a super good actor and i doubt he'd treat his group members poorly on camera. sm just shouldn't have debuted him in the first place with all the controversy pre-debut but i guess they'd put all their money on him being the face of the group. tbh to me he's a good dancer, not great, but his rapping voice is super grating to me. could have just added an actual good rapper to the group along with mark (which i know is hard for sm).

[dalpaengi.livejournal.com]

this aged well