"There is no need to increase subscribers because of disability"...Singer Kim Hyuk-gun, who is fully paralyzed, speaks out on the 'Park Wi controversy'

[Financial News] Kim Hyuk-gun, a member of the group The Cross, has spoken out about the controversy surrounding disabled YouTuber Park Wi's KTX-Sancheon fall accident video.
On the 24th, Kim Hyuk-gun posted a lengthy message on his Instagram, saying that he had recently seen the controversy surrounding a disabled YouTuber.
Kim Hyuk-gun suffered cervical spine damage in a traffic accident in 2012 and was diagnosed with full-body paralysis. After rehabilitation, he resumed singing and has been communicating through music on his personal YouTube channel.
He wrote that he even tries to make sure his wheelchair is not unnecessarily visible when producing YouTube videos, adding that he does not believe he needs to gain subscribers by seeking sympathy or special attention because of his disability.
He also said he had seen comments such as, "I will not help disabled people anymore" and "There is no need to help them," and noted that without support such as disability taxi services, subway accessibility facilities, and personal assistance services, people with the most severe disabilities would struggle to get through each day.
He added, "I hope this controversy does not lead to all disabled people being disparaged or to a decline in public perception."
Earlier, Park Wi said he had suffered a fall while getting off a KTX-Sancheon train on the 14th and released CCTV footage of the incident on YouTube. The video showed the wheel of the wheelchair he was riding getting caught on the foot of a Social Service Agent, causing him to fall out of the wheelchair. The Social Service Agent reportedly apologized to Park Wi at the scene.
However, after Park Wi released the video and emphasized the need for safety training, criticism emerged that publicizing a worker's mistake was excessive. Park Wi later deleted the video and apologized.
Park Wi, who was diagnosed with full-body paralysis after a building fall accident in 2014, has used his YouTube channel to raise awareness about disability and share rehabilitation information. He once had 1.01 million subscribers, but the controversy reportedly caused subscriber losses, pushing the channel below 1 million.
[email protected] Sung Min-seo Reporter