Actor Choi Hyun-wook goes live visibly drunk in morning broadcast, alarming fans

Actor Choi Hyun-wook drew criticism Sunday after appearing visibly intoxicated during a morning live broadcast.

Choi went live on his social media account Sunday, streaming in real time for fans.

He appeared before the camera still under the influence of alcohol. As comments poured in from domestic and international fans, he said, "It seems like there are a lot of foreigners — the translation will sort itself out, but you have to treat Korean people well. For real."

Choi also made self-deprecating remarks about his appearance, saying, "I look really ugly right now. It's because I'm a pig." When fans urged him to end the broadcast out of concern, he brushed off their pleas, saying, "All Koreans will be asleep at this hour. So there's no one to stop me," and continued streaming.

This is not the first time Choi has courted controversy. He was previously criticized after being caught on camera illegally discarding a cigarette butt, and caused a stir when a nude silhouette was reflected in a prop photo he posted on social media. Last year, he sparked backlash after throwing a fastball at a child batter while serving as a ceremonial first pitcher at a baseball game.

Choi rose to prominence through appearances in "Twenty-Five Twenty-One," "Sparkling Watermelon," "D.P." and "Weak Hero Class 1." In the recently released Netflix series "Boy in the Back Row," he starred alongside Choi Min-sik, cementing his reputation as a standout screen presence.