Yoo Seung Joon Pleads, “Please Stop the Hate Comments…Do You Want My Life Completely Ruined?”

Yoo Seung Joon opened up about the emotional toll of the malicious comments that have continued for 24 years following his military service evasion controversy.

On May 13, Yoo Seung Joon uploaded a video titled, “Do You Still Believe I Swore? Yoo Seung Jun Finally Speaks Out Quietly — I Have Just One Thing to Say to Those Still Cursing Me” to his YouTube channel.

In the video, Yoo criticized the toxic culture of online hate comments, saying, “Please stop leaving malicious comments. No matter how mentally strong someone may be, there’s no one who isn’t hurt by reading those kinds of messages. Even if someone deserves criticism, you should never tell them to ‘just die.’”

He continued, “There are words that save people and words that encourage them. Why mock and curse at someone who is trying to carry the weight of their own life? It’s not like you truly want that person’s life to be completely destroyed. You don’t have to do that to me. I hope people will say kind words, uplifting words, and wish for others to succeed.”

Yoo also addressed the past controversy surrounding alleged profanity during a 2015 livestream on AfreecaTV, where a conversation containing swearing between staff members was accidentally broadcast live.

“No matter how many times I explained that it wasn’t my voice and that it was actually the PD’s voice being aired, people kept insisting it was me,” he said. “Something that shouldn’t have even become a controversy was turned into one, painting me as someone who cursed behind the camera.”

He added, “I’m not appealing to emotions here. I’m simply stating the facts.”

Yoo also reflected on his younger years, saying, “When I was promoting in Korea, I was just a thoughtless young man in my 20s. Even now, I still feel immature and think I have a lot more life to experience. Did all of you have everything figured out in your early 20s? I don’t think I did. I try not to take the criticism too heavily for my own sake now, but it’s not easy.”

Meanwhile, Yoo debuted in 1997 with “Gaui” and rose to massive popularity through hit songs such as “Me Me Me,” “Passion,” “Love Song,” “I Love You Nuna,” and “Vision.” However, in 2002, he acquired U.S. citizenship to avoid mandatory military service, leading to his effective removal from the Korean entertainment industry.

SEE ALSO: Steve Yoo launches direct Q&A to engage with public after 24 years

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