BTOB’s Lee Changsub has found himself at the center of an online controversy following remarks he made during a recent YouTube appearance.
The idol, who had received praise just days earlier for quietly supporting his close friend Soyou following the death of her father, faced criticism after appearing on the YouTube channel 12F in a video titled
“It Only Takes 3 Seconds to Steal Your Girlfriend.”
The discussion featured a story about a boyfriend who regularly drove to pick up his girlfriend for dates but expected her to dispose of his used coffee cups and water bottles afterward.
Changsub, along with Kwak Beom and Kim Ji Yu, sided with the boyfriend during the discussion.
However, some of Changsub’s comments were viewed by viewers as unnecessarily harsh, leading to criticism online.
During the conversation, Changsub argued that the girlfriend’s behavior demonstrated a lack of consideration toward her boyfriend. Among his remarks were,
“If I told you to take the bus, you’d probably sulk,” and “It’s bad manners,” as well as “There’s no consideration at all.”
His comments became the focus of criticism following the broadcast, with some viewers questioning the tone and intensity of his response to what was essentially a discussion about everyday dating etiquette.
Changsub Addresses His Recent Behavior
As the discussion surrounding his remarks continued, Changsub later shared his thoughts through a fan communication platform.
Rather than directly addressing individual comments from the YouTube discussion, he reflected on his recent behavior and acknowledged that he felt he had crossed certain boundaries while carrying out his schedules.
Changsub wrote,
“There is a limit one should observe with others, but lately, while doing my schedules, I feel I have been crossing that line.
I noticed I’ve become obsessed with having to do better, be more entertaining, and be more memorable.
I’ve become dull to extreme things. It’s not easy, but I want to return to my original mindset.”
His message came as the controversy continued to attract attention. Changsub’s comments suggested that he had become increasingly focused on making his appearances entertaining and memorable, something he felt may have influenced the way he approached recent content.
The controversy was particularly notable because it arrived only days after Changsub had received considerable praise for his treatment of Soyou during a difficult personal period.
On September 9, Soyou appeared on the KBS Joy variety program “Kkiri Kkiri,” where she revealed that she had participated in the program shortly after her father’s passing without informing the production team.
She explained that she had followed her mother’s advice to continue with her scheduled work despite the circumstances.
Soyou later recalled how she eventually told Changsub and Jung Jinwoon about her father’s passing during their trip together. She said,
“I wasn’t going to tell the others, but then at night they suddenly asked if something had happened, so I told them.
When I felt too sorry, they told me, ‘Don’t say sorry. Don’t force yourself to hype up your mood. We’ll take care of everything,’” expressing her appreciation for how the two friends supported her.
Changsub’s Earlier Support for Soyou Resurfaces
During the program, Changsub and Jung Jinwoon reportedly paid close attention to Soyou’s condition and supported her while she was grieving.
When she struggled to eat, they looked after her, while also keeping track of her mood and remaining close to her without putting pressure on her.
Because the program was designed as a variety show that required a certain amount of energy and entertainment, Changsub also attempted to help Soyou participate without making the situation more difficult for her.
He stayed beside her and tried to make her smile while ensuring that she did not feel pressured to behave as though everything was normal.
At one point, Changsub sincerely expressed his hope for Soyou’s experience, saying,
“I hope this was a good trip for you.”
Soyou subsequently expressed her gratitude toward Changsub and Jung Jinwoon for taking care of her during the trip and helping her through a difficult period following her father’s death.
Their quiet support was warmly received by viewers, who praised the two men for being attentive to their friend rather than forcing her to maintain a cheerful mood for the sake of the program.
That earlier positive response became part of the conversation surrounding Changsub’s latest controversy.
The timing meant that the singer was being discussed for two very different reasons within a short period: first for his considerate treatment of a grieving friend and later for comments made during the YouTube “trash debate.”
The controversy has therefore placed renewed attention on Changsub’s own reflection about his recent activities.
His fan-platform message acknowledged that he had become increasingly focused on being entertaining and memorable and that he wanted to return to the mindset he had previously maintained.
While the original discussion centered on something as ordinary as whether a girlfriend should throw away her boyfriend’s discarded cups and bottles, Changsub’s strong reaction caused the conversation to expand into a broader debate about his remarks and his recent approach to entertainment content.
The situation also highlights how quickly public reactions can change for celebrities, particularly when different appearances reveal contrasting sides of their personalities.
Changsub had recently been praised for his quiet support of Soyou during her grief, but his subsequent appearance on 12F generated a very different response.
For now, his own words indicate that he has reflected on the way he has approached recent schedules and wants to move back toward what he described as his “original mindset.”
