Park Wi, husband of singer Song Ji-eun, apologizes after backlash over KTX fall video

Park Wi, a quadriplegic YouTuber and husband of singer Song Ji-eun, has apologized after facing public backlash over his decision to release CCTV footage of a fall he suffered while riding a KTX train.

Park had uploaded a video to his YouTube channel "Wiracel" titled "Why I'm releasing the CCTV footage."

In the video, he said his wheelchair had caught on the foot of a social service worker who was assisting him, causing him to fall from the chair, and he released the CCTV footage of the incident.

"I was so angry that he had placed his foot on the ramp," Park said. "He apologized politely, but in that moment I couldn't accept it." He added that he believed safety training was needed and that staff should take greater care when assisting wheelchair users.

The video drew criticism, however, with many arguing it was excessive to release the footage after the worker had already apologized, effectively making the individual a target. Some also questioned whether Park had overreacted to an unintentional mistake by someone who had been trying to help in good faith.

Faced with the mounting criticism, Park deleted the video and issued an apology.

On Saturday, Park posted a statement on his YouTube channel's community board saying he was sorry for disappointing many people with the video. "I failed to consider the position of the worker who had done their best to help me at the scene and had apologized to me sincerely," he said.

"I viewed negatively what was simply a mistake made in the course of trying to help me better," he said. "My way of conveying the situation was immature and my thinking was shortsighted. I apologize to everyone who worked hard on the ground."

He also extended his apology to viewers of the video. "I will take your advice to heart and approach content creation with greater maturity. I will use this as an opportunity to act more carefully and responsibly in all things," he added.

Park was diagnosed with quadriplegia after a fall in 2014 and has since built a career as a YouTuber. His channel "Wiracel" has about 1 million subscribers. He married Song Ji-eun, a former member of the K-pop group Secret, in 2024.