Shocking confession: Epik High member Tablo reopened the wounds from the notorious 'Tajinyo' (We demand the truth from Tablo) controversy and his father's passing, calmly laying bare a period where loss and fury collided.
On his YouTube channel, Tablo recently looked back on his father, who passed away in 2012, calling it "the second moment I faced death up close." He said that time couldn't be explained as a simple goodbye. His father's sudden decline overlapped with the years-long 'Tajinyo' saga that had tormented him.
'Tajinyo' was a group that baselessly denied Tablo's academic credentials and career, relentlessly attacking him online. Tablo recalled, "I even hate calling that a scandal," adding, "For years, people said I didn't go to Stanford, that my career was fake, my family was fake — that my very existence was fake." He ultimately proved in court that those claims were false, but the scars from the process lingered.
Tablo said, "My father had been diagnosed with cancer years before, but he completed treatment and was completely fine," adding, "But right as that horrific ordeal was winding down, he got sick again, and the next morning he passed away." The goodbye came with no time to prepare, and it sparked emotions beyond shock. "It wasn't just because I lost my father — honestly, I felt like 'the public killed my father,'" he admitted. "I wasn't only sad. I was truly angry."
His first experience with a traditional Korean three-day funeral also left a deep mark. "I understand it logically now, but at the time it felt too harsh on grieving families," Tablo said, describing how exhausting it was to receive mourners throughout the wake. "Even if someone came at 4 a.m., I had to stay, and I barely slept," he said, revealing the bone-deep fatigue of that time.
But in the depths of despair, an unexpected moment let him breathe again — a gentle remark from comedian friends who came to the funeral hall. "I laughed for the first time on the second day. Something inside me felt like it was loosening," he recalled. Still, he cautioned, "I'm not saying you should crack jokes whenever someone is grieving. You can't just throw them out anywhere. In my experience, a very small moment of humor can sometimes help."
Another lifeline during that time was his Epik High bandmates. "When my father passed, Tukutz and Mithra stayed with me for the entire three days, from beginning to end," Tablo said with gratitude. He added that when Tukutz's mother passed away, he and Mithra stood by him in the same way — proof that their silent presence spoke louder than words.
Tablo also noted that the days after a funeral can be even harder. "In Korea, it's tougher when you go home after the funeral. Someone's absence fills the room more than their presence ever did," he said, stressing the need for comfort to survive that stretch. "When the day comes that you can smile while remembering your loss, it can feel like the most sincere way to honor that person," he added. "I hope this story can be a small 'clip' for someone out there."