Kang Daniel apologizes after his comments about ‘Street Woman Fighter’ spark sexism accusations

July 20, 2022

South Korean soloist Kang Daniel issued an apology on his Instagram today in response to accusations of sexism following his comments about a 2021 dance competition show he hosted.

Kang hosted “Street Woman Fighter” in 2021 and is set to host the all-male contestant version of the show “Street Man Fighter,” which airs on Aug. 16.

A screenshot of a conversation Kang had with fans on the fan community platform Universe show the soloist expressing his feelings about hosting the all-male iteration of the series compared to the all-female ones, including the teen version.

“To be really honest, I’m so comfortable because ‘Street Man Fighter’ is all men,” Kang wrote per Korea JoongAng Daily. “I’m happy because I don’t get drained of energy. It [‘Street Woman Fighter’] was really scary. ‘Street Dance Girls Fighter’ was much scarier too.”

When called out by fans, Kang defended his words, saying, “What’s wrong with saying it was scary? Imagine yourself reciting a poem, let’s say, in front of 60 men. It’s scary, isn’t it? I was shivering at first. They were noonim with really strong makeup and eyeliner.”

Kang continued to dismiss fan’s objections and threatened to block them on the Universe platform. As Universe’s fan-to–idol chat function is a paid service, fans found that remark inappropriate as well.

“Saying that this is about gender… I am at a loss for words. People like those who objected would be so angry when they attend a standup comedy show. Let’s relax. Life is hard enough already,” Kang wrote.

His apology, written in Korean, came later in the day Instagram: “Hello this is Kang Daniel. I would first like to apologize for the private message. I apologize for exaggerating the phrase ‘I was nervous and shaking’ and causing unnecessary misunderstandings. My response was rash in a situation where I was trying to be careful of promoting or heightening gender conflict. I’m sorry that this entire process hurt all my fans who always care about me and worry about me. I will be more careful about my words and actions in the future.”

Kang released his first full-length album “The Story” earlier this year in May. It features the music video for the title track “Upside Down.” The soloist also teamed up with IVE’s Ahn Yujin and Olympic ice skater Kim Yuna for the single “Move Like This” last month.

Featured Image via Starship Entertainment

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