Choi Hyun-wook draws criticism after visibly drunk Instagram Live

Choi Hyun-wook is facing backlash after going live on Instagram in the early morning hours of August 30, 2026, visibly intoxicated while interacting with fans in real time. The broadcast ran slightly over five minutes.

During the stream, he told viewers: "Foreign people seem to be many, but it will be translated automatically, but you should treat Korean people well." He added, "Koreans will all be sleeping at this time. So there's no one to stop me."

This isn't his first incident. A video filmed inside a club leaked in 2022. The following year, footage surfaced of him holding hands with a woman on Apgujeong Rodeo Street in Seoul while smoking and discarding cigarette butts illegally. He issued a formal apology and paid a fine. In 2024, he posted a photo with a figurine prop on social media, then deleted it after fans noticed his naked body reflected on the prop's surface.

Most recently, he served as ceremonial first pitcher at a KBO postseason game and threw a fastball over the head of a young batter, then walked off the mound without apologizing. His agency later delivered a handwritten apology after the backlash grew.

Choi debuted in 2019 with the web drama If You're Jealous, You Lose. He has since appeared in Taxi Driver (SBS), Twenty Five Twenty One (tvN), Weak Hero Class 1 (Wavve), and Glittering Watermelon (tvN). His most recent high-profile role was Lee Gang in the Netflix original Boy at the End of the Last Row, opposite Choi Min-sik, where he earned praise for his performance. (The timing is rough — he's also confirmed for director Jang Jae-hyun's upcoming film Vampire, which is still awaiting release.)