Chanyeol, a member of K-pop group Exo, has been speculated by Korean netizens to be the unidentified K-pop star caught in a video flipping off a motorcycle influencer. Both the influencer and Chanyeol’s management agency have denied the rumors.
The influencer, Jang Shi-nae or C_nematic, was a guest on Channel S’s variety show “Real Granny” when she shared the story of the time a K-pop star allegedly threatened her on the streets.
“One time, I was driving a small scooter on the way to work, and a foreign car was intentionally driving in a threatening manner,” she shared, according to Soompi. “I sensed danger, so I avoided the car, [but the driver] suddenly made a rude gesture with his finger.”
She went on to explain how the idol then gave her the finger.
“I chased after the driver, and I approached the foreign car that was on standby at a traffic light to knock on the window and ask, ‘Why did you curse at me?’ When I did that, the driver pushed down his hood and only continued to curse at me with his finger; however, I realized he was a very famous idol.”
Based on observations of the driver’s car along with his hand and dog, as seen in the now-deleted video she shared on her social media, Korean netizens quickly speculated the idol to be Chanyeol.
On Wednesday, as rumors of Chanyeol’s involvement began to circulate, his management agency SM Entertainment released a statement denying the allegations.
“The figure within the relevant video is not Chanyeol,” the agency said. “The vehicle is completely different from the car owned by Chanyeol. We will take strong legal action against the spread of false information.”
Chanyeol is currently serving out his mandatory military service in South Korea.
The influencer posted a statement on Thursday denying the rumors and apologizing for the “confusing situation” and “misunderstanding.” Without mentioning Chanyeol by name, she also offered her apology to “the person who suffered damage through speculative comments.”
“First, I have never mentioned [the idol’s] real name in private or public places, and even if the culprit is found out, I have no intentions of revealing [the name] in the future,” she explained.
Exo was previously involved in controversy when former member Kris Wu was arrested in August of last year under suspicion of rape.
