SF9 fans were once again disappointed to learn that Rowoon would not be attending the group's upcoming fan-con, 'Unlock FANDORA' in Seoul. 

The fan concert is scheduled to take place on October 9 at 6 PM KST, and will be a chance for fans to welcome members Youngbin and Inseong back to group activities, after completing their mandatory military service duties.

While Jaeyoon is currently still carrying out his mandatory duties, this upcoming fan meeting, according to fans, was a prime opportunity for 8 out of 9 members to come together and greet their fans, before more members began preparing for their military service later in the year. 

However, due to his busy drama filming schedules, Rowoon will not be in attendance. 

For SF9 fans, Rowoon's absence from group schedules is not new. The idol originally had to sit out promotions for a time after suffering from a herniated disc in 2020. 

But now, some fans are of the opinion that Rowoon's absence has gone on too long. They claimed that Rowoon "does not communicate with fans on the fan cafe", "does not address fans as Fantasy", "does not celebrate the group's anniversary", "only communicates with his solo fans when his dramas are involved", and "has not participated in any group activities in 2023 except for 1 week of music shows". 

In response to the fans' dilemmas, K-netizens weighed in with comments like,

"At this point he's like a guest member? Everyone is more used to SF9 without him."

"He should make a decision for everyone involved, instead of leaving his members and the fans hanging. If he wants to act, he should just leave the group and act."

"Either his company or he should realize that fans want an idol who communicates with them over an idol who is famous or popular with the public."

"If he doesn't have the time or the energy to fulfill multiple roles, he has to make a choice."

"I suspect it was an obligation in his contract. The company came to the conclusion that Rowoon was more profitable as an actor, but him being a part of SF9 was still an asset for the group." 

"It's come to the point where he's damaging the group's image and reputation. Giving up on the idol job would save the other members and the fans some of this emotional stress." 

"The fans waited for him and supported him for 3 years, but he doesn't even call them Fantasy anymore TT."