Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk is under fire after fans accused him of shouting controversial statements during SMTOWN in Los Angeles.
Videos circulating on social media platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) appear to capture someone yelling phrases such as “I love In-N-Out,” “I love the USA,” and more divisively, “I love Elon Musk” and “I love Trump.” K-Pop fans quickly identified the voice as Leeteuk’s, prompting an outpouring of criticism online.
One X user wrote, “leeteuk from suju screaming he loves trump and elon musk during smtown… disbandment when? RETIREMENT WHEN?!!” Another commented, “Leeteuk shouting out Elon Musk… Boy, pls don’t embarrass us. That horrific looking mf is NOT even American. Even Yesung was weirded out like…”
Super Junior—also known as SJ or SuJu—is a long-running K-Pop group made up of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Former members include Han Geng, Kibum, and Kangin. The group is widely credited as one of the major contributors to the global Korean Wave and is often dubbed the “King of the Hallyu Wave” by Korean media.
Unfortunately, this isn’t Super Junior’s first brush with controversy. In a previous broadcast, Leeteuk admitted, “I really dislike fat girls,” claiming women who don’t take care of their bodies are unattractive. In 2011, he also faced backlash for telling fellow idol Suzy (formerly of Miss A) that she needed to lose weight.
Former member Kangin was also involved in multiple scandals, including two DUI-related hit-and-run incidents in 2009 and 2016, and an alleged assault on his ex-girlfriend. He also sparked backlash after referring to f(x)‘s Amber, a biologically female idol with a tomboyish image, as a man.
Siwon faced severe criticism in 2017 after his French bulldog, which was not on a leash, bit the CEO of Hanilkwan, a famous Korean restaurant. The woman tragically died from sepsis six days later. In 2024, Siwon was also accused of involvement in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, though he and his agency have vehemently denied the allegations.
As of now, SM Entertainment has not released an official statement regarding the latest controversy.
Source: X (formerly Twitter), TikTok
