Some time after causing fans severe concerns due to a troubling Instagram post on November 1, former 14U member Hyunwoong has returned to his SNS with a sincere letter of apology.
Hyungwoong wrote, "I'm so sorry for causing everyone to worry. To be honest, I always struggled with a growing feeling of emptiness at night, and it must have grown larger and larger without me noticing. Reading through each of the comments really gave me strength, and I came to the huge realization that I should never think like that again, ever. I will never worry you all in such a way again, I'll continue to laugh and show everyone a carefree Kim Hyunwoong. I'm truly sorry for all of the concerns I caused; I'm sorry to my family, my friends, my members, the fans. I will make sure that something like this never happens again, I'm very sorry..."
We'll be cheering you on, Hyunwoong!
I said it before on the previous post (which was deleted for some reason) and I'll say it again on this one. South Korea seriously needs to take a more understanding look at depression, suicide and mental illness in general. This young man shouldn't have to make a statement to 'never worry' people or always show a 'laughing and carefree side' of himself. That's unhealthy, and if you're feeling down or upset you NEED to express that with people. When you don't do this and bottle it up inside, it can lead to serious consequences that we've seen after losing our sweet peach Sulli as well as Jonghyun. Although these issues are things that people around the world deal with, it's clear that South Korea still has a long way to go in terms of the issues of stigma against mental illness. Bottom line, don't bottle it up if you're feeling upset, always express those feelings and reach out for help. I'm happy that he's recognized that those thoughts are dangerous and that he deserves happiness, but I hope he will also realize with time and counseling that he shouldn't have to wear a fake smile if he doesn't feel that way. I wish him well, he seems like a sweet kid.
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