Fans of South Korean idol group Super Junior declared a boycott against one of its members, Sungmin, last June. More than a month after the declaration, his mother is still waiting for the calm after the storm.
In an exclusive interview with Korea Herald, Kang Kyung-sook, Sungmin’s mother, opened up about fans boycotting Sungmin. Kang hopes her son will overcome the hardships and get back on his own feet with a stronger mindset.
Sungmin’s fans declared a boycott of the Super Junior member last month, criticizing him for his disrespectful attitude toward his fans and lack of communication with them. Some fans also expressed disappointment over his choice of keeping away some details of his personal life to fans, including his failure to announce his marriage in 2014.
“To tell the truth, I think Sungmin is learning some important life lessons from the recent controversies. Having lived the life of an idol star, Sungmin grew up without facing real life struggles. Because of that, he was far from worldly-wise,” Kang said.
Super Junior’s Sungmin. Image: K-Pop Herald
“If you don’t have an umbrella to protect yourself when it’s raining, you just have to get soaked, don’t you think?” she added.
Kang said she has been trying to help Sungmin become a more independent person by making him deal with his accountant to manage his income and tax issues by himself, something she used to take care of in his behalf.
The 31-year-old singer who has been keeping a low profile since the uproar, recently wrote a letter to fans, apologizing for having disappointed them. Sungmin also revealed that he would withdraw from the group’s promotional activities for the new album due out in October, including the “SMTOWN Live World Tour VI” concerts in Korea and Japan, all for the sake of the band’s success.
While Kang said she understood why a lot of fans are still upset and are not able to forgive Sungmin, she was positive that things would turn out better for him in the future.
“I believe this, too, shall pass. This is a good opportunity for Sungmin to learn what life is, and I think he has been getting along pretty well by accepting the reality,” Kang said. “He is also discovering new talents and helping out with his wife’s business these days.”
Originally an 11-member group, Super Junior is gearing up to release a new album in October with seven members: Leeteuk, Heechul, Shindong, Yesung, Eunhyuk, Donghae and Siwon.
The four absent members include Sungmin; Kangin, who has been staying away from team activities after being arrested for driving under the influence last year; and Ryeowook and Kyuhyun who are fulfilling their military duties. JB
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