SM Entertainment & NCT Renjun Draw Flak For Statement Concerning Leaked 'Saseng' Number

SM Entertainment is drawing flak for their statement after NCT's Renjun leaked a number on Bubble, claiming he was called by a sasaeng.

On June 21, SM Entertainment released a statement for NCT's Renjun after he leaked someone's number on Bubble, claiming it was a sasaeng trying to contact him.

After their number was leaked, the individual reported the incident to the police, claiming they were trying to contact a friend with a similar name and that the number had been saved to their phone by a friend.

In their statement, SM Entertainment apologized to the individual and stated that they took down Renjun's Bubble message. They asked fans not to contact the number and promised they would work their hardest to prevent further harm.

In April, Renjun temporarily halted activities due to poor health and anxiety. On June 11, he expressed distress on Bubble about sasaengs following him, claiming some even purchased seats next to him on flights.

On June 20, Renjun received dozens of calls from sasaengs. During a live broadcast, he mistakenly called a friend's number, thought it was from a sasaeng, and posted it on the fan communication platform, sparking controversy.

SM Entertainment's statement reads,

"Hello, this is SM Entertainment.

On June 20, Renjun mistakenly thought an unknown caller was a sasaeng and exposed the phone number on a fan communication platform. We sincerely apologize to the person affected by this exposure.

Upon learning that the affected individual had contacted the local police, we immediately conveyed our apologies to the investigating officer and took down his message. We will continue to work to prevent further harm and earnestly request that people refrain from contacting the affected individual.

Renjun is deeply reflecting on his hasty mistake, and we also apologize for our shortcomings in managing the artist. We are truly sorry for the concern caused to the affected individual and many others."

Korean netizens were not impressed with SM Entertainment's statement, saying it barely counted as an apology. They also were not impressed by the fact that it was SM Entertainment handling the issue rather than Renjun himself.

They slammed the idol for not apologizing directly to the victim, claiming he is hiding behind his company.

Some comments read,

"Is that even an apology?"

"We don't want to hear it from the company. We want him to apologize directly."

"Renjun was the one who instigated the issue on that person and now his company is apologizing on his behalf. Celebrities sure consider themselves royalty."

"This is flabbergasting."

"He didn't even apologize to the person personally. What the heck is this?"

"It's not even from him. He should apologize directly."

"Who is apologizing to who?"

"Apologize properly."

"Wow, he's hiding behind his company."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

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Written by Alexa Lopez