FT Island's Lee Hong-ki responds to backlash over 'defending' Choi Min-hwan allegations

FT Island member Lee Hong-ki said to fans he wants to “talk in person to avoid misunderstandings” after receiving backlash over comments that were deemed to be supporting his bandmate Choi Min-hwan, who is under investigation for sex trafficking.

FT Island members Lee Hong-ki, right, and Choi Min-hwan [SCREEN CAPTURE]

FT Island member Lee Hong-ki said to fans he wants to “talk in person to avoid misunderstandings” after receiving backlash over comments that were deemed to be supporting his bandmate Choi Min-hwan, who is under investigation for sex trafficking.

The band's leader shared photos of Saturday's Asian tour concert in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Instagram on Sunday, saying the band was "glad to have been able to talk about things we wanted to talk about."

“I will also speak directly with our future fans, as talking face-to-face conveys the message better than writing and avoids misunderstandings,” he added. Choi didn’t appear on stage for Saturday’s concert but played the drums from behind the curtain.

Lee’s remarks came after he was recently criticized for seemingly defending Choi, who is currently accused of sex trafficking. Choi's ex-wife, Yulhee, alleged his involvement in sex trafficking in a YouTube video.

Screen capture of Lee Hong-ki's reply to fan's post on Weverse, who questioned the reason for believing in Choi Min-hwan when an internal investigation into Choi's sex trafficking allegations is already underway [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Lee also responded defensively to a fan who had asked why Lee supported Choi when an internal investigation had already begun. Lee said, “What if it isn’t sex trafficking and it wasn’t a prostitution establishment? Can you take responsibility for what you said?”

This comment, along with his Friday post, has since been deleted.

Choi was a regular on KBS 2TV’s variety show "The Return of Superman" (2013-) where he showcased his life as a parent with his three children. But, he has suspended all media activities since the allegations, according to his agency, FNC Entertainment.

Choi and Yulhee were married in 2018, but their marriage ended last year after just five years. Choi retained custody of their children, which initially sparked backlash toward Yulhee over claims of neglect.

Choi Min-hwan and Yulhee pose for a photo in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, in 2018. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct is currently investigating Choi’s potential violation of anti-prostitution law. If convicted, he could face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,170).

BY JANG GU-SEUL, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]