Praise Backfires: BOYNEXTDOOR's Myung Jae-hyun Apologizes Over Lee Kwang-soo Remark

K-POP group BOYNEXTDOOR member Myung Jae-hyun has apologized for describing actor Lee Kwang-soo's fan communication skills as an ability to "attract customers."

Myung addressed the controversy during a live broadcast on the fan platform Weverse on Oct. 21.

"I even thought it might be better not to say anything because I was worried it could cause trouble for Lee Kwang-soo," he said. "But I think it's right to apologize when you've done something wrong."

The controversy began with messages Myung sent to fans through Weverse DM on Oct. 18. Referring to Lee's interactions with fans, he said he had been trying to learn from the actor.

"His ability to attract customers is unbelievable. It's a talent," Myung wrote. He added, "I guess it's difficult for me because I don't think of fans as customers."

Some criticized the remarks as careless, questioning whether Myung was suggesting that Lee treated his fans as customers or a source of income.

Addressing the criticism, Myung explained that he had intended to praise the actor.

"I meant that he's cool, that I respect him and want to learn from him," he said. "I think I made a mistake while writing the message on Weverse DM. I'll pay more attention and be more careful from now on. I'm truly sorry."

Lee began communicating directly with fans through the messaging platform Bubble on Oct. 1. His frequent messages and friendly interactions quickly drew attention.

Meanwhile, BOYNEXTDOOR released "HOME: DELUXE," a repackage of its first studio album, on Sept. 28 and continued promotional activities.

The group wrapped up the Japanese leg of its first world tour on Oct. 11, drawing a total of 140,000 fans across 13 shows in six cities.

BOYNEXTDOOR will kick off its first North American tour at The Bomb Factory in Dallas on Oct. 30. The six-member group is scheduled to perform 10 shows across 10 cities, including Chicago, New York, Toronto, Seattle and Los Angeles.