Despite an apology from singer Kim Jang Hoon, wedding videos of Mir (34·real name Bang Cheol-yong), formerly of the group MBLAQ, have been repeatedly leaked online, prolonging the controversy. However, Mir himself said "it was not a private wedding," calming the atmosphere somewhat.
On the 21st, Mir pledged a hundred years of marriage with a non-celebrity lover one year his senior at a location in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Although the ceremony was held quietly with only family, relatives and acquaintances attending, videos and photos of the wedding scenes have continued to spread on social media.
On the 25th, an Instagram user posted a video with the caption "Mirbang wedding." The video showed Mir holding the bride's hand as he walked down the aisle, and the non-celebrity bride's face was exposed without mosaic. The post even included the description "a person with a cuter appearance and a better personality than anyone," fueling the controversy.
Leaks of Mir's wedding videos have continued for four days, beginning with Kim Jang Hoon and followed by ordinary guests. On the 23rd, another social media user was criticized after revealing the bride's name along with footage from inside the wedding, and it was also revealed that Kim Joon-hyun served as master of ceremonies and Huh Gak performed a celebratory song.
Earlier, after singing at the second part of the wedding, Kim Jang Hoon uploaded a post to his social media with the words 'Eun-ah's younger brother Cheol-yong went to the wedding and suddenly felt the reality of life' and a video, exposing the bride's face and drawing fierce criticism. He later deleted the post and bowed his head in a lengthy apology, saying "I had no idea it was private. It was a pathetic act unbecoming of my age."
But as additional leaks by ordinary guests continued even after Kim Jang Hoon's apology, some netizens demanded that posts be deleted, saying "please delete it" and "protecting the non-celebrity bride comes first."
Amid this, Mir's side conveyed its position and the controversy entered a new phase. On the 25th, the YouTube channel "Bangga-ne" posted a video titled "private wedding controversy, I spoke directly with brother Kim Jang Hoon." In the video, his older sister Ko Eun-ah said, "Mir's wedding was not private. We never said that," and "it seems they were being considerate because the bride is a private citizen, but too many articles about Kim Jang Hoon came out, so we actually feel sorry."
Reached by phone while on his honeymoon, Mir said, "It wasn't that reporters didn't come because we're unpopular, so I don't know why it was called private," and added, "I don't know why Kim Jang Hoon is being criticized. It's very distressing." He added, "Brother performed so well and that overlap makes my heart hurt more."
In response, Kim Jang Hoon quipped self-deprecatingly to ease the atmosphere, saying, "I saw the portal and Mir's wedding was number one because of me. I wish the wedding itself had just been known, but I guess it's fine."
Even after Kim Jang Hoon's sincere apology, fans debated with criticism that "they should still have been careful about revealing the face" and defense that "Mir directly said it wasn't private, so let's not pile on him anymore." However, with Mir's explanation, the "private wedding" frame appears to be somewhat subsiding.
Mir debuted in 2009 as a member of MBLAQ and gained great popularity with hits such as "Oh Yeah," "Y" and "Monalisa." He has continued his activities by sharing daily life with his family through the YouTube channel "Bangga-ne." With this marriage, he became the third married member of MBLAQ following G.O and Thunder.
The controversy that began with Kim Jang Hoon's apology flared again with additional leaks by guests, but as Mir personally stepped in to say "it was not private" and defuse the situation, voices online saying "protecting the bride is the top priority now" have grown stronger.<
[Photo] 'SNS'
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