'Culinary Class Wars 2' chef Im Seong-keun's confession of drunk driving led to a change in the rapidly rising YouTube subscriber count. More than 5,000 people left in just a few hours.
As of 11 p.m. on the 18th, Im Seong-keun's YouTube channel Im-jjang TV had 983,000 subscribers.
Earlier that morning, the subscriber count, which had been close to 990,000, had dropped by nearly 7,000. The sudden loss of subscribers was due to Im Seong-keun's confession of drunk driving. In a video he released that day, he confessed that he had driven under the influence three times in the past 10 years. He said, "What I did wrong was wrong. I don't want to evade responsibility for my wrongdoing," and added, "So I received criminal punishment and my license was canceled, and I got my license again."
Im Seong-keun apologized, saying, "I don't want to hide myself. It is right to apologize to our subscribers. I'm not hiding it. I'm sorry to the subscribers for causing unnecessary concern."
Im Seong-keun said, "Sudden overwhelming love became a burden. Living a busy and then difficult life, I came to like drinking a lot, and I hope you will forgive me generously. I am grateful for the great love," and said, "I will live carefully so it won't become a problem."
Although Im Seong-keun opened up about his drunk driving and asked for forgiveness, public opinion was cold.
Ultimately, Im Seong-keun posted a handwritten apology that read, "First, I bow my head in deep apology to the many fans and viewers who have cared for and supported me. Drunk driving is my fault and a mistake that cannot be excused for any reason. At the time, I deeply regretted it and accepted the legal punishment. Over the past few years, I have reflected on myself while keeping a low profile."
In the apology he posted himself, Im Seong-keun explained, "Drunk driving is my fault and a mistake that cannot be excused for any reason. At the time, I deeply regretted it and accepted the legal punishment. Over the past few years, I have reflected on myself while keeping a low profile."
He added, "But recently, as I received excessive attention, I felt that continuing activities while burying past mistakes would be a betrayal and disrespect to those who believe in me. I judged that before it is too late, it is my duty to confess and apologize for these facts with my own mouth, so I decided to post this today."
Finally, Im Seong-keun said, "I sincerely apologize once again for disappointing you with my careless behavior. I will not forget my past mistakes and will discipline myself to become a chef who can have a positive influence on society. I formally apologize once again to everyone who trusted me."
As subscribers continued to leave, the fallout reached the broadcasting world. Im Seong-keun was scheduled to appear on MBC's Omniscient Interfering View on the 24th, and some media outlets were to conduct round interviews. Attention is focused on whether those schedules will proceed as planned.
[photo] YouTube capture, broadcast capture
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