ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo Posts Handwritten Letter Of Apology About Itaewon Outing

May 19, 2020

ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo has posted a handwritten letter to apologize following a controversy surrounding an outing in Itaewon with a group of idol friends.

On May 18, the agencies of NCT‘s Jaehyun, BTS‘s Jungkook, SEVENTEEN‘s Mingyu, and Cha Eun Woo confirmed a report that the idols had spent a night out together in the neighborhood of Itaewon, which is where there was a recent resurgence of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Dispatch reported that they went to a restaurant and two bars in the neighborhood from the evening of April 25 until dawn on April 26. After it was confirmed that a patient with COVID-19 visited clubs in the area on May 2, it was requested by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters that anyone who visited entertainment facilities (a category that includes clubs, bars, and more) in Itaewon between April 24 and May 6 refrain from leaving their homes. The agencies of all four idols confirmed that they tested negative for COVID-19.

On May 19, Jaehyun posted a letter of apology on his Instagram account.

On the same day, Cha Eun Woo uploaded the following handwritten apology on ASTRO’s official Twitter account:

Hello, this is Cha Eun Woo.

First of all, I am sorry for causing concern to many people due to my careless behavior.

Many medical staff and citizens are still working hard to overcome COVID-19, and I also participated in the “Thank You” challenge, so I deeply regret that I had a gathering with my acquaintances at a restaurant and bars in Itaewon without practicing social distancing.

I am truly sorry about disappointing my fans who believed in me and supported me. I also apologize to the members, the agency employees, and everyone around me.

Knowing the value of the love that many people have sent me, I will be a person who thinks and acts more carefully.

Once again, I apologize for causing concern and worry to many people.