Super Junior's Heechul Recalls Getting Scolded by SM Seniors Over Skipped Greetings

Super Junior's Heechul says his trainee-era manners once caused enough of a stir at SM Entertainment that senior artists started calling him about it. He shared the story on a recent broadcast alongside fellow group members.

The trouble began when Kim, then a trainee, crossed paths with Brian and failed to greet him properly. Brian had previously mentioned the moment on an earlier program, recalling how Kim walked past without saying hello.

"I got a lot of calls from senior artists directly tied to SM back then," Kim said. Leeteuk added that he was pulled into the situation too. "I heard about it from Brian because of Hee-chul," Leeteuk said. "He asked me, 'Hee-chul didn't say hello, what's going on?'"

Not long after, SM Entertainment introduced etiquette classes for its trainees. When Leeteuk asked, "Was that because of you?" Kim bristled at the suggestion. Eunhyuk stepped in to explain. "They started a class that actually teaches you how to greet people properly," he said. Then he landed the punchline: "But the one who really needed to take it didn't show up." The comment drew laughs.

Kim eventually went to seniors like Tony An and KANGTA on his own. "I heard I wasn't greeting people," he told them. "I've never worked as an entertainer before, so I don't know these things. Please teach me." That direct approach, he said, ended up winning the seniors over instead.