Go Young Wook reflects on his past fame, but controversies follow him online

AKP STAFF

Go Young Wook reflects on past fame, controversy resurfaces amid online activities.

Go Young Wook, former member of Roo’ra, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to introduce his solo track ‘Expectation,’ which was featured on Roo’ra’s 8th album. He nostalgically mentioned how the song was used as the main theme for the popular segment ‘Go Young Wook’s Doggie World’ on ‘TV Animal Farm.’ Proud of the track, he stated, “Apart from it being used as the theme for that popular segment, it’s practically like a new song.”

He also expressed disappointment, writing, “In a special episode, they didn’t even mention Chiru, the dog that was actually the most popular. Instead, they claimed Woongja was the most popular. But everyone back then knew Chiru was the fan favorite.” Go Young Wook criticized the long-standing hosts of ‘TV Animal Farm,’ Shin Dong Yub and Jung Sun Hee, for not mentioning Chiru, saying he felt “sorry for Chiru and disappointed.”

Go Young Wook has also been embroiled in controversy for claiming he was the originator of the “crying rap” style, indirectly targeting his fellow Roo’ra member Lee Sang Min. He recalled the experience as the youngest member of the group, stating, “It was embarrassing, but I gave it my all in the recording booth. I always had a sense of pride in my unique title. But now, people refer to something else as crying rap, and it’s frustrating.”

However, Go Young Wook’s history is tainted by severe criminal charges. In 2010, he was convicted of sexually assaulting and molesting a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old girl under the guise of helping them debut in the entertainment industry. Although his arrest warrant was initially dismissed to protect his defense rights, he reoffended in December 2012. Go Young Wook was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison, 3 years of electronic monitoring (ankle bracelet), and 5 years of mandatory public disclosure of his personal information. He was released in July 2015 and lived with the ankle bracelet until July 2018.

After the public disclosure period ended, Go Young Wook resumed online activity, launching social media accounts. However, due to policies that restrict convicted sex offenders from having accounts on certain platforms, his Instagram account was shut down. On September 4th KST, he uploaded a video titled ‘Fresh’ on his YouTube channel ‘Go! Young Wook,’ attempting to expand his online presence. However, the channel was closed just 18 days after its creation.