Kim Ji-woong of rookie K-pop group ZEROBASEONE has refuted a claim that he swore at a fan during a video call.
Last Friday (February 2), a user on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to be a fan of ZEROBASEONE shared a clip from a video call event with the boyband, where they had the chance to speak to member Kim Ji-woong. At the end of the video, after the ZEROBASEONE member goes offscreen, a male voice can allegedly be heard swearing, per Koreaboo.
According to The Korea Times, the user who uploaded the clip asked if the K-pop idol “normally end[s] a fan event with such language?” They added that they were “upset” over the alleged incident, saying “why should a fan walk on eggshells around him to talk to him after paying so much money” even though they did not “ask him to do […] or say something odd”.
ZEROBASEONE’s agency, WAKEONE, has since denied the allegations in a statement to Sports Seoul. “After checking with [Kim Ji-woong] himself, [the claim] is not true. We also checked with the employee and translator that were present at the scene,” the company said, as translated by Soompi.
In a later statement, WAKEONE also added that it would be taking legal action against individuals who have threatened its artists’ safety or infringed on their rights, including those who are “creating and spreading fake edits and posts”, as translated by Soompi.
The agency said that it would be using methods like digital media forensics to “reveal the definitive truth”, adding that it would “mobilise all resources at our disposal in order to protect our artist”.
ZEROBASEONE were scheduled to perform at Krazy Super Concert 2024, which would have taken place on February 9 and 10, 2024 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. However, the event has since been postponed due to “the incoming heavy rains across the Southern California region”.
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