Seventeen’s member Woozi is currently serving his mandatory military enlistment. In a recent report shared online, it was revealed that a noncommissioned officer at the Army Training Center asked the singer for a favor to arrange a singer for his wedding for free. The news has sparked outrage online, with fans debating if the officer’s actions were right or not.
What happened with Woozi in the military training center?
According to reports from Seoul Shinmun, Woozi, while training in the military training center, was approached by a noncommissioned officer. The incident happened in September, when the idol had freshly joined the training center as a trainee. The noncommissioned officer, who had no connection to Woozi before their meeting at the center, asked him to find a singer to perform a congratulatory song at his wedding, which was to be held in October. The idol arranged for a fellow acquaintance of his, a ballad singer, to perform at the wedding, and no fees were paid by the officer. A spokesperson from the Army issued a statement on the matter, stating that the singer complied with the request of his own free will. They stated, “After reviewing the situation, it was determined that this was not the result of an improper order but rather an act of personal goodwill on Woozi’s part. There were no violations of the law or military regulations.”
Netizens react online
Although it was clarified that the idol was not coerced to perform the favor, fans and netizens alike have been enraged over the news. Many took to their social media accounts in order to share their opinions on the matter at hand.One person’s comment about the situation read, “Even if he didn’t ask him to sing himself—which would obviously still be wrong—asking him to introduce a third party and not paying them is basically robbery without a knife,” while another stated, “This is absurd. Even if it looks like it wasn’t coercion on the surface, he only agreed because he was a trainee trying to keep the peace. If some random stranger had asked, would he have done it?”As per a statement from the Army, Woozi has since the incident been selected as a drill instructor.
