YouTuber Park Wi faces criticism over past video of asking student on date

YouTuber Park Wi is facing renewed scrutiny as a video from November 2023, showing him approaching a female student at a library, resurfaces online. The backlash follows a separate controversy regarding a KTX wheelchair accident video that led to his resignation as a Seoul Metropolitan Government ambassador and a drop in subscribers to approximately 930,000.

YouTuber Park Wi is facing a difficult situation as past content is being re-examined following controversy over the way he released a video regarding a wheelchair fall accident on a KTX. A video from approximately 10 months before his marriage to Song Ji-eun, in which he approached a female university student to express interest and perform a mission reminiscent of a date, is spreading online. The critical public opinion sparked by the release of the accident video appears to be extending to challenges regarding his past content.

Recently, a video titled "Park Wi asking a woman he met for the first time on a date?" was uploaded to social media. This video is an edit of content titled "What if a man in a wheelchair asks a woman he meets for the first time on a date?" which was released on the YouTube channel "WERACLE" in November 2023. The footage shows Park Wi approaching a female student he met at a library to fulfill a mission from the production team.

In the video, after being requested by the production team to "talk to your ideal type," Park Wi walked around the library and approached a female student. He asked, "Hello, what are you doing?" to which the student, appearing somewhat flustered, replied, "Doing an assignment." When Park Wi followed up by asking, "Excuse me, do you have a moment?", the student replied that she did.

Park Wi requested the student to sit in the wheelchair and complimented her appearance, saying, "Your face is like a cartoon," while listening to her introduction. He then asked if she was subscribed to his YouTube channel "WERACLE," and the video captured her pressing the subscribe button. The two then searched for the book Park Wi wrote, "WERACLE," while in the wheelchair, and after finding it, he presented it to the student as a gift.

As the video resurfaces, some netizens have reacted by saying it is difficult to understand the intended purpose and message of the content. Comments such as "I have nothing to say. What kind of content is this?", "What does this have to do with good influence?", and "How is this improving disability awareness?" have followed. However, the reaction to the past video is a critical opinion from some viewers, and the video itself cannot be used to conclude specific intentions or inappropriate behavior.

The controversy surrounding Park Wi originated from a video of a KTX fall accident released this past August. Park Wi uploaded a video to "WERACLE" showing a situation where his wheelchair overturned while disembarking from a KTX. The accident occurred when the wheelchair caught on the foot of a social service agent who was attempting to secure the ramp. Following the release of the video, criticism was raised regarding whether it was appropriate to expose the mistake of a worker who was trying to help.

As the criticism spread, Park Wi deleted the video and posted an apology. He stated that he had not sufficiently considered the position of the worker, who had done his best to help and had apologized politely at the time of the accident. He further apologized, stating that he had only viewed the mistake that occurred during the process of trying to help him more effectively in a negative light, admitting his method of delivering the video was immature and his thinking was short-sighted. He also bowed his head to everyone who worked at the scene.

The aftermath of the controversy has affected his subscriber count and public activities. The "WERACLE" subscribers, which had neared 1 million, had decreased to the 930,000 range as of the 23rd, and Park Wi resigned from his position as a Seoul Metropolitan Government ambassador. The debate surrounding the release of the accident video is appearing to affect his overall public image and activities beyond a simple online dispute.

Park Wi, born in 1987, married Song Ji-eun of the group Secret in September 2024. Along with Song Ji-eun, who is three years younger, he has been revealing their daily life as a married couple through YouTube and appeared together on the SBS variety program "Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny." As their married life and Park Wi's activities have been steadily known to the public, this controversy is leading to a re-examination of not only the accident video but also his past content and the messages he has promoted.

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