Red Velvet’s Seulgi recently received backlash from netizens for a scandal at the airport: she was discovered to have swapped shoes with her manager due to a foot injury sustained while practicing. Some netizens expressed their anger at Seulgi for trading her uncomfortable high heels for her manager’s sneakers, voicing their suspicions that Seulgi pressured her manager to change shoes or that her manager may have been uncomfortable in Seulgi’s ill-fitting high heels.

Following the backlash from netizens, Seulgi issued an official apology this morning, explaining the circumstances of her foot injury and apologizing multiple times to her manager and anyone else affected by the incident for any possible discomfort she had caused.

The incident as a whole raised even more controversy, with many netizens now questioning the need for an apology and defending Seulgi online. Further critiques of idol culture have been brought forth as well, as some netizens debate whether the close scrutiny and criticism of idols’ everyday lives have gone too far at this point. Hundreds of K-netizens are now coming to Seulgi’s defense online.

“It’s really tiring to have to see people running around criticizing something without even knowing the full situation”

“That was a fast apology, but why are people so angry in the first place? It’s not like it was a huge scandal, just a temporary change of shoes…Common sense would indicate that it’s not a big deal…”

“Actually, I really wonder if this situation is something to apologize for. I didn’t think it was an abuse of power. Rather, I thought the people guessing everything about the situation and getting mad were the ones who looked strange”

“It’s so sad that she even had to write an apology. People like this don’t even know the full details of the situation, yet they’re criticizing idols and harassing them”

“It didn’t seem like Seulgi was being disrespectful or abusing her power at all. People should look in the mirror before they throw rocks at someone”

“I can’t even understand this whole situation…”

“It seems there are many people these days who enjoy bullying others and harassing them”

“They said Seulgi abused her power.. but really.. a lot of people crossed the line here”

“Situations like this can happen in life. Of course, the manager is probably the one who suggested they switch shoes in the first place…"

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