The issue began when a video featuring THE BOYZ’s Sunwoo was posted on an online community, sparking backlash.

The video shows THE BOYZ’s Sunwoo hurrying toward an elevator after finishing a schedule when he drops his AirPods. As he boards the elevator, he shouts, “My AirPods!” A nearby security guard then rushes to pick it up and hands it to him. Sunwoo is seen taking the AirPods with one hand without offering a word of thanks.

This prompted criticism from netizens, with comments such as “He didn’t even say thank you” and “He’s treating the bodyguard like a servant”, calling his behavior rude.

Amid the backlash, not only the general public but also celebrities responded. Actress Nana drew attention by leaving a brief comment, “He needs to be scolded.”

Netizens who saw Nana’s comment were surprised, saying, “Whoa” and “Did she confuse her main account with a private one?”

Meanwhile, in response to the controversy, Sunwoo took to a fan communication platform to explain himself. He said, “Everyone kept talking about the AirPods clip, so I watched the video thinking, ‘What is this about?’ It really does look like I didn’t say thank you and just rudely took it.”

He continued, “At the time, I didn’t know what had fallen, and I was confused. Once I realized it was my AirPods, I said ‘My AirPods!’ and looked around for it. When I received it, I didn’t bow my head, but I did say ‘Thank you.’”

He concluded, “I can’t explain every little thing forever, but I’ll reflect on what seemed like my mistake. To avoid misunderstandings, I’ll make sure to bow when expressing gratitude moving forward.”