The ailing drummer was replaced by a session musician.
When his bandmate Choi Minhwan he was beaten with his ex-wife Yulhee‘S YouTube video denouncing Choi’s alleged prostitution, FTISLAND‘S Lee Hongki chose to defend Choi, despite the fierce reaction from K-Pop fans.
Yulhee exposes ex-husband Minhwan for going to brothels during their marriage in overwhelmingly recorded phone calls
In multiple Weverse messages, Lee Hongki defended Choi Minhwan and showed support for the struggling drummer, even though it was decided that Choi Minhwan would stop all activities, including scheduled performances such as FTISLAND.
As of November 2, 2024 (KST), FTISLAND performed at the “2024 Grand Mint Festival” in Seoul as a two-person band, with one drummer replacing Choi Minhwan.
FTISLAND will replace Choi Minhwan for next performance amid prostitution scandal
On the GMF stage, Lee Hongki appeared to address the ongoing controversies involving him and Choi Minhwan. While he did not make any direct statements, the message is presumed to be related to the backlash given the context.
I was so damn depressed…I thought the world was out to get me for no reason. But no matter what, I’ll keep making music until the day I die.
—Lee Hongki
Unsurprisingly, Lee Hongki’s comment was met with deep divisions between confident FTISLAND fans and skeptical netizens.
- “Oppawe felt so happy and healed, thanks to you. We are concerned about your voice. I’m not sure if it’s because you cried a lot or if you got sick or if there was something wrong with the microphone. But we’ve all had a really tough week, so it was really nice to see you. Good work today!”
- “Hearing you say this, I felt… Sigh. I felt so grateful. Thanks for telling us. It’s true, you should keep singing! Please continue to bless us with that irreplaceable voice of yours. I will always and forever be a Primadonna and your friend. Let’s keep rocking, FT! My best friends! I love you.”
- “Oppawe could argue and laugh/cry about it all. But know that we are always on your side! You made us so happy today. Have a safe trip home!”
- “…? Who still believes his nonsense? This is shocking.”
- “It’s getting worse and worse.”
- “Um… what’s wrong with him? Why tackle this at a music festival? It’s not like the entire audience is his fandom.
- “Hm?”
- “Hongki still acting tough, huh? He needs to grow up and act his age.
As for Choi Minhwan, after the official announcement of his break, The Return of Superman deleted all clips featuring Choi Minhwan and his three children with Yulhee. No updates were shared from either Yulhee or Choi Minhwan.
“The Return Of Superman” Clears All Videos Featuring FTISLAND’s Choi Minhwan
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