[Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] Go Young-wook, a former member of Roo'ra who was expelled from the entertainment industry after being convicted of sex crimes against minors, faced backlash after criticizing BIBI's performance.
On the 27th, Go Young-wook shared an article about BIBI's "Waterbomb Seoul 2026" on his account and wrote, "I live in the provinces, so I may not know much, but is this 'Waterbomb' or whatever some kind of contest where singers come out and compete over who can take off more clothes? Thinking about Africa, where water is scarce, makes me feel sorry."
BIBI took the stage at "Waterbomb Seoul 2026," held on the 25th at KINTEX in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province. During the performance, she removed the jumpsuit she was wearing to reveal a bikini, then knelt down and sang into a microphone held by four male dancers. Online reactions were sharply divided, with some saying her performance was too provocative and others arguing that the festival itself is aimed at adult audiences and should be viewed in that context. There was also criticism that performances by overseas stars often include far more explicit choreography and staging that directly suggest sex, yet Korean artists are singled out for harsher scrutiny. Supporters also argued that male artists are less likely to face accusations of indecency even when they take off their shirts, while female artists are quickly dragged into 19+ controversy for adding even slightly bold elements to their performances.
Against this backdrop, Go Young-wook joined the criticism of BIBI. However, netizens were largely unwelcoming of his appearance. Comments included, "Isn't he a sex offender against a minor?" "Did he get upset because he couldn't go see the actual performance?" "BIBI was doing a performance, but Go Young-wook actually committed the act," and "Why was he like that in the past if he's so concerned about Africa?"
In 2012, Go Young-wook was investigated without detention on charges of giving alcohol to and sexually assaulting a female high school student identified as A, who had aspired to become a model. During the investigation, it was also revealed that in 2010 he had given alcohol to a 14-year-old middle school student identified as B and sexually assaulted her twice before reaching a settlement. He was later indicted and detained after allegations surfaced that he had sexually assaulted another 14-year-old middle school student, identified as C, in December 2012 while still under investigation without detention.
Go Young-wook denied all charges. However, the trial court sentenced him to five years in prison, seven years of public disclosure, and 10 years of electronic monitoring. On appeal, the court took into account the settlements with A and B and found him guilty only of indecent assault against C, reducing the sentence to two years and six months in prison, five years of public disclosure, and three years of electronic monitoring. Go appealed again, but the court rejected the appeal. He completed his sentence at Anyang Correctional Institution and was released in 2015.
Baek Ji-eun, Sportschosun, silk781220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
