YouTuber Park Wi's past remarks on having children draw fire amid ongoing controversy

Past remarks by YouTuber Park Wi have drawn fresh fire online after he suspended his activities following the release of CCTV footage showing him falling from a KTX train.

In April 2024, Park's YouTube channel WERACLE posted a video titled "An Honest Moment for Each Other — A Pre-Wedding Showdown," in which Park and his then-fiancée Song Ji-eun played a couples' Jenga game to share their thoughts ahead of their marriage.

When asked what names they would choose if they had a son and a daughter, Park said he hoped for a child with a single-character name, adding that growing up with one himself had been a good experience. Song smiled and said having one daughter and one son would make her truly happy.

Park then asked Song whether she would prefer a son or a daughter first. When Song answered "a son," the two high-fived as if they were of one mind.

Park added, "If we have a son, I want him to carry me around a bit, and if we have a daughter, I want to protect her."

As the remarks resurfaced, some users reacted negatively online, with comments including "What did the son do to deserve that," "To already be thinking that way," and "Even as a joke, it seems selfish."

Earlier, Park was involved in an accident on Aug. 21 when his wheelchair wheel caught on a social service worker's foot as he was getting off a KTX train. He later posted CCTV footage of the incident but faced criticism after it emerged that he had uploaded the clip without including the scene in which the worker apologized to him.

As the controversy grew, Park apologized, saying he had failed to consider the position of the worker who had done his best to help him and had offered a sincere apology. He subsequently announced he was suspending his YouTube activities; scheduled lectures were canceled and he stepped down from his role as Seoul Metropolitan Government promotional ambassador.

Park married Song Ji-eun, a former member of the K-pop group Secret, in October 2024. The couple had shared their daily lives through YouTube and television appearances.