RESCENE’s Woni Breaks Silence on “Museopno” Controversy Revival

RESCENE member Woni has opened up for the first time about the emotional impact of the past controversy surrounding her use of the dialect expression “Museopno.” Her heartfelt remarks were made in a preview clip for a new web variety show, which was later taken down after drawing widespread criticism for unnecessarily reigniting an issue that many felt had already died down.

On July 29, a preview video for the first episode of ‘Don Sun Tae: Seongong Sidae’, a new web variety show hosted by YouTuber Kim Sun Tae, known as “Chungju Man,” was uploaded to the KBS YouTube channel ‘KBS Originals’. RESCENE members Woni and Minami appeared as guests, seemingly unaware of the storm that was about to brew.

Woni’s Heartfelt Reflection on the Past

During the episode, Kim Sun Tae directly asked Woni to share her thoughts on the past ‘Museopno’ controversy. Woni responded with candid honesty, revealing the depth of her shock and fear at the time. “I was genuinely shocked,” she admitted. “I had only imagined myself appearing on YouTube music shows, so waking up one day and seeing myself in the news was really frightening.”

She continued, reflecting on the valuable, albeit difficult, lesson she learned from the experience. “What I learned from that experience is that I need to be very careful with every word I say. Even if I did not intend something in a certain way, someone else could interpret it differently, and that really surprised me.”

Understanding the “Museopno” Expression

Regarding the expression “Museopno” itself, Woni clarified her perspective, explaining, “It was something I naturally said. The dialect ending ‘no’ is commonly used as an exclamation.” Woni, who is originally from Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, explained that the dialect is simply a part of her natural speech.

In the clip, when Kim Sun Tae prompted her by saying, “Try saying it in dialect — ‘Why is my name being mentioned in politics?'” Woni replied, “I didn’t even know what was happening. I honestly had no idea. I just said it naturally, so please understand it in context.”

The Backlash: Clickbait Accusations and Fan Concern

The preview clip quickly drew further criticism, particularly over its title, “Mwo-ga Museopno?” (“What’s So Scary?”). The decision to highlight the syllable “no” in a different color was seen by many viewers as an overt and insensitive reference to the previous controversy. Fans and netizens alike questioned why an issue that had largely died down was being brought up again, with many criticizing the segment as “obvious clickbait for views.” Others voiced strong concerns for Woni, asking, “Is it okay to treat a small agency idol this way?” and urged people to “stop putting Woni through this.”

The public outcry quickly escalated, leading to a petition being posted on the KBS viewer petition board. The petition eloquently described the segment as “an irresponsible act of dredging up the pain experienced by someone who had already moved on” and called for the episode not to air. By 10 a.m. on July 30, the petition had garnered nearly 500 signatures, a clear indicator of widespread public disapproval.

In response to the intense backlash, the production team initially attempted to mitigate the situation by changing the preview thumbnail text from “Mwo-ga Museopno?” to “Take it the right way.” However, the criticism continued unabated, ultimately leading to the video being made private.

Host Kim Sun Tae’s Apology and Program Departure

Following the controversy, Kim Sun Tae uploaded an apology video on his personal YouTube channel on July 30. He expressed deep remorse, stating, “I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by the preview clip uploaded to the KBS YouTube channel yesterday.”

He explained his timeline, noting that he first saw the clip at approximately 8:40 p.m. the previous day and immediately requested its removal. Taking full responsibility, Kim Sun Tae admitted, “Although this was a program made under my name, I was truly irresponsible. I hid behind the name of the broadcaster and failed to request any prior review or confirmation of the uploaded content.”

Kim Sun Tae also apologized for his handling of Woni during the recording. “As many people pointed out, making unnecessary remarks about the guest was clearly my mistake. Since it was the first filming for the show, I was focused only on following the script and failed to notice the problem,” he candidly stated.

He concluded his apology with a promise to do better: “Since the video was taken down, I have reflected on my words and actions. From now on, I will be more careful with everything I say and do, and I will do my best to prevent something like this from happening again. I sincerely apologize to everyone affected by my shortcomings — especially Woni and the other members of RESCENE.”

Following the intense backlash and his public apology, Kim Sun Tae ultimately stepped down from the program after just a single episode. The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the sensitivities involved in content creation, especially when dealing with past controversies involving public figures.