It was previously revealed that F.T Island's Hongki would be playing a member of rock band 'Excellent Souls' (shortened to EXO or EX-SO) in upcoming SBS weekend drama, 'Modern Farmer.'  As the short form of the group's name is pronounced and spelled exactly the same as popular SM boy group, EXO, this of course grabbed a lot of attention from netizens.  During the drama press conference on October 14 at the SBS building, Hongki addressed the response he has been getting since the news was first released.

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He apologized to EXO fans, saying, "When we first heard that the group name was going to be EXO, we likewise thought, 'This is bad.  This could be bad to the point we might not be able to broadcast this.'  Our message board was terrorized.  Various articles about us were all criticizing.  Lee Si Eon said this was his first time experiencing something like this.  He's very angry.

As an idol, I think I would be happy if someone said they were F.T Island on TV.  That's probably because a lot of time has passed for us, but I feel like EXO fans are sensitive.  I apologize.  The meaning behind EXO ('Excellent Souls') is different, so I wish you wouldn't misunderstand.

Even in 'Modern Farmer,' because of the name EXO, there are scenes that will be broadcasted in which I get slapped by three female high school students and get hit by elbows and knees."

Hopefully, EXO fans will accept the apology and tune into 'Modern Farmer' anyway, once it airs on October 18.