Actor Choo Young-woo (26) is once again in controversy. Earlier this year, he was criticized for following a “broadcasting channel” BJ, and now he is under fire for a phone case with sexual imagery.
On the 4th, Choo Young-woo was seen attending a Tom Ford event in an online community. The image on the phone case he was holding sparked the issue. The case featured a character of a high school girl in a short skirt and garter belt standing in front of an adult goods store alongside the text ‘ADULT GOODS’. The phrase ‘LOVE MERCI’ was known to be an actual name of a Japanese adult goods store in Akihabara, which further fueled the controversy.
The issue didn’t end with just the image. The identity of the designer of the case was revealed, leading to a bigger storm. This designer, who was a relatively unknown illustrator with only about 500 followers, had other works that also included explicit images of schoolgirls being sexualized. This led to escalating criticism that Choo Young-woo’s choice was not a mere accident but possibly from an insensitive attitude.
Disappointment towards Choo Young-woo is profound because this isn’t his ‘first’ controversy. Born in 1999 and debuting in 2021, he gained recognition for his acting in Netflix’s ‘Ox-mother’s Tale’ and ‘Trauma Center’, being noticed as a rising star. However, his private life issues held him back. Previously, it was revealed that he followed a convicted rapper Jeong Sang-soo and ‘broadcasting channel’ BJ Kubin, causing a stir. At that time, he reflected by saying, “I will be more cautious with my words and actions,” but a few months later, he was again in the hot seat.
Amidst this, Choo Young-woo is keeping his promise to his fans. On the 6th, he will hold a solo fan meeting ‘2025 CHOO YOUNG WOO ASIA FANMEETING TOUR ‘Who (is) Choo?’’ at KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and release a digital single ‘If Time Could Stop’ at 6 PM the same day. The new song gained attention as singer-songwriter Roy Kim participated in writing and composing, and its live stage will be unveiled for the first time at the fan meeting.
Choo Young-woo, who has previously contributed to OSTs for works like ‘Ox-mother’s Tale’, ‘Gyeonu and Seonnyeo’, showing stable vocal abilities, is anticipated for his first digital single released under his name. However, despite achievements in works and music, recurring private life controversies are harming his image. Among netizens, criticism continues that “an actor with influence should be cautious even with trivial items,” and some show sarcasm saying, “I hope he doesn’t claim it was a gift this time too.”