Former Super Junior’s Member Kangin has opened up about what he’s been up to recently and touched on his various past controversies!
Recently, on the YouTube channel “The Life of Others,” a video titled “Kangin, 7 Years of Hiatus” was released. In the revealed video, Kangin appeared noticeably thinner and shared his innermost thoughts that he had not been able to express during his time away through backpacking journeys.
From a young age, Kangin had a passion for sports and aspired to become a physical education teacher. He had a chance encounter with street casting during a school festival, which led him to spend more than five years as a trainee before debuting as a member of Super Junior. Super Junior achieved international success with consecutive hit songs and contributed to the Hallyu wave.
However, Kangin was not able to share in the team’s glory. In 2009, he received attention for a physical assault dispute with a civilian, leading to a period of self-reflection. During that time, he was also convicted of a drunk driving hit-and-run incident and received a fine. After serving an eight-month period of self-reflection and completing his mandatory military service, Kangin made a comeback with Super Junior’s 6th studio album, “Sexy, Free & Single.”
Kangin reproached himself, saying, “I had a great opportunity to continue my activities, but I couldn’t do it because of my numerous mistakes. There were physical assaults and drunk driving incidents. Although I went to the military, it was clearly a mistake that should never have happened. At 26 years old, I should have known better.”
However, even after that, Kangin continued to be embroiled in controversies, including unauthorized absence from reserve forces training, derogatory remarks toward junior idols, a second drunk driving traffic accident, and disputes. He was even implicated as a member of the infamous Jung Joon-young chatroom, accused of producing and spreading illegal footage. Ultimately, he was cleared of this accusation, but fans did not forgive Kangin, who had spent over six years in self-reflection during his 14-year career with Super Junior. As a result, in 2019, Kangin ultimately announced his departure from the group.
Kangin expressed deep regret for his past actions, saying, “I did things that were wrong, and I am so sorry that I can’t even lift my head. There were misunderstandings. My name was mentioned in the group chatrooms within the entertainment industry. I did go to Germany for a shoot with one of those friends. We did have a group chatroom among the cast members, but (illegal footage) was not present there. But articles were published, as if I were a member of the Jung Joon-young chatroom. It was a complete misunderstanding.”
He continued, “I was filming a drama in Japan, and it was really tough. There were reports that said things that had nothing to do with me, even though I couldn’t remember them. I thought time would resolve everything, but it went so far as to accuse me of things I didn’t do and even mentioned Super Junior. I talked to the company and consulted with them, and eventually, I decided to leave.”
Kangin expressed his love and apologies to his Super Junior members and their agency, SM Entertainment. He said, “I’m always sorry to my friends. If it were me, I would probably resent and dislike someone who did the things I did, but they don’t do that. They worry more about my future than I do. I’m always grateful and sorry to them. When my contract ended, the company asked me what I wanted to do. They suggested re-signing. People still ask if I’m still with SM.”
Since taking a break from the entertainment industry in 2016, Kangin has lived a quiet life. Recently, he has been sharing updates about his current situation through YouTube. Kangin said, “I haven’t been active for about seven years since 2016, so I don’t have any significant income, but there aren’t many expenses either, so it doesn’t affect my daily life. I wanted to show my fans, who are curious about me, my well-being and current situation, so I wanted to say hello.”
However, a comeback seems distant for Kangin. He responded, “I can’t even forgive myself. Despite receiving so much love, I made the same mistakes again. I know my mistakes then, and I know my mistakes now.”
Source: (A)
