"BOYS II PLANET" Contestant Kim Geon Woo Addresses Controversy + WAKEONE Releases Statement On Kim Geon Woo's And Kang Woo Jin's Contracts

Jul 21, 2025

Kim Geon Woo, who is currently appearing on Mnet’s boy group survival program “BOYS II PLANET,” has personally addressed the controversy regarding his alleged past behavior.

Previously on July 16, ahead of the premiere of “BOYS II PLANET,” a post with allegations about contestant Kim Geon Woo began spreading on online communities. The post claimed that while Kim Geon Woo was a trainee at an entertainment company, he acted like a “king,” received favoritism, went on private trips with certain staff members, and embezzled company funds. The author of the post also alleged that Kim Geon Woo verbally abused and personally attacked some trainees, claiming to be a victim themselves and attaching medical records showing they had received psychiatric treatment.

As controversy continued to grow, on July 21, Kim Geon Woo released the following handwritten apology:

Hello. This is trainee Kim Geon Woo, currently participating on “BOYS II PLANET.”

First, I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone for having to write this letter due to an unfortunate incident.

I honestly do not know where or how to begin.

As this is my first time experiencing something like this, I needed time to think about how to respond, so I ask for your understanding regarding the delay in sharing my position.

First of all, regardless of the reasons, I want to sincerely apologize and say that I am truly sorry for the words and actions that hurt and troubled many people, as described in the post that became the subject of controversy.

At that time, I was going through a difficult period as the leader who had to guide the team, and in the process of leading my fellow trainees, I was inexperienced and clumsy due to the sense of responsibility and pressure to do well.

In that process, I ended up hurting many people, and I sincerely apologize and am reflecting deeply on this.

Although there are a considerable number of parts in the post that are distorted or not true, after much consideration, I have decided that rather than explaining what is true and what is not, it is right for me to sincerely apologize for what I did wrong, and so I am writing this letter of reflection.

Once again, I apologize to the public who had to see negative attention and posts because of me, and I will take this incident as a lesson and do my best to become a better and more mature person in the future.

Thank you.

On the same day, WAKEONE released an official statement clarifying that contestants Kim Geon Woo and Kang Woo Jin, who are currently appearing on “BOYS II PLANET” as individual trainees, are trainees under their agency.

Read the agency’s full statement below:

Hello, this is WAKEONE.

We are releasing this statement in response to a series of posts circulating on online communities regarding our company and our trainees.

Kim Geon Woo and Kang Woo Jin, who are currently appearing on “BOYS II PLANET” as individual trainees, are trainees under WAKEONE.

Trainee Kim Geon Woo was in the process of applying and being screened for the program before signing a trainee contract with WAKEONE.

Since he had already been preparing to appear on the program as an individual trainee, it was difficult for him to participate as part of a team with the existing WAKEONE trainees due to scheduling conflicts. After discussing with Kim Geon Woo, we decided that he would appear on the program as an individual trainee.

Trainee Kang Woo Jin had been developing his skills at WAKEONE with the goal of becoming a singer-songwriter.

There were differences in musical concepts between him and the existing trainees who were preparing for the program, and he also did not have professional idol training experience. Therefore, we determined that it would be more appropriate for him to appear as an individual trainee rather than as part of the WAKEONE team.

These decisions were made with consideration for each trainee’s individuality and musical concept, but we sincerely apologize for causing confusion and concern to the program’s production team, viewers, and fans as a result.

We take full responsibility for this matter, and we believe that the challenges taken on by both trainees deserve respect.

After lengthy and careful discussions to make a responsible decision, WAKEONE has agreed with trainees Kim Geon Woo and Kang Woo Jin to terminate their trainee contracts. Both participants will continue to appear on the program as individual trainees, just as they did when they first applied.

However, we deeply reflect on the fact that, as Kim Geon Woo is now participating on the program as an individual trainee, we were not able to fully fulfill our duty of care as his agency. Accordingly, while the trainee contract has been terminated, we will actively respond to any false claims related to Kim Geon Woo.

Once again, we sincerely apologize for the disappointment and concern this matter has caused.

We will do our utmost to act with greater caution and responsibility in the future, so that we can maintain the trust of our artists and fans.