Choreographer and TV personality Bae Yoon-jung has apologized over allegations that she mouthed a swear word during I.O.I's concert.
On July 1, the YouTube channel Noppakku Tak Jae-hoon uploaded a new video featuring Bae Yoon-jung. Alongside Tak Jae-hoon and Shin Kyu-jin, she shared behind-the-scenes stories about the choreography for several of her hit songs.
During the conversation, Tak Jae-hoon brought up a recent clip of Bae that went viral online. The short showed Bae standing up at the I.O.I concert to dance the 'Pick Me' choreography, and it has racked up around 7 million views.
The issue centered on Bae's lip movement. Some netizens argued it looked like she swore as she stood up, and that brief moment spread quickly online, sparking controversy.
When Tak asked, "Was it an unconscious slip?", Bae first reacted with surprise, saying, "Would I really swear when there are cameras?" But when Tak pressed, "This video wouldn't hit 7 million views just for the dance," Bae eventually bowed her head.
Bae said, "I honestly thought I didn't, but it must have slipped out unconsciously," and added, "I really need to reflect," offering an apology. Although the exchange happened in a lighthearted setting, Bae acknowledged her carelessness and expressed remorse for the viral moment.
Meanwhile, I.O.I is a project girl group formed through Mnet's Produce 101. They promoted for about eight months before disbanding, then reunited this May for their 10th debut anniversary with the title track 'Suddenly'.