Producer Shin Won Ho of popular tvN drama 'Reply 1997' has come forward to defend A Pink's Eunji, who has been under fire for her allegedly rude behavior on SBS' '1000 Song Challenge'.

On September 10th, the producer met with a reporter and stated, "Eunji is someone who doesn't fit at all with terms like 'rude' and 'problematic behavior'. She's extremely polite and kind."

The point of the game on '1000 Song Challenge' was to get to the microphone first and sing the rest of the song. Eunji has been criticized for being too aggressive, pulling the microphone from senior singers and others on set during one of the challenges on the show.

Producer Shin Won Ho has been working with Eunji on 'Reply 1997' for the past 4 months. He stated, "I've seen many new idols on television and variety shows during my time as a producer. Rather than having the time to think about how a program runs, they are more concerned with working extremely hard, no matter what. For this reason, there are times when we have to cut some of their segments because they almost work too hard."

The producer continued, "Nobody wants to mess up a program that they appear on. They just want to show that they are trying their best. [Eunji's behavior] is something I consider very common among newcomers."

As a senior by many years in the industry, Shin Won Ho PD was concerned that Eunji would be hurt from the comments, stating, "[Eunji] is someone who will continue to appear on television and is still in the process of figuring things out. There will only be one such mistake like this, as she is learning. She knows where to draw the line, and she's also learning how to follw the trends of television. This morning, I texted Eunji the same after I heard the news."

Concerning her sudden rise in popularity after starring in 'Reply 1997', the producer commented, "She's not someone to brag, and if that were the case, she wouldn't be on variety programs. She is just a newcomer who is still unaware of how to show that she's working hard and might have exaggerated her behavior a little. Though celebrities do get judged based on a single incident, I hope people will see it in a better light."

Eunji already apologized for her behavior on September 9th. She posted to her SNS, "As much as I received love and interest from everyone, I will become A Pink's Eunji who is even more careful with her action and words."

Source + Image: E Today via Nate