Seventeen member Seungkwan has personally addressed a viral "good deed" story that falsely circulated online using his name. On August 2, Seungkwan went live on a fan communication platform and said he had spent a long time debating whether to speak about the issue before bringing up the viral story involving a barbecue restaurant on Jeju Island. The rumor claimed that Seungkwan had prepaid 600,000 KRW (approximately 430 USD) at a barbecue restaurant reportedly run by an acquaintance and arranged for fans who visited the restaurant to receive complimentary drinks. As some fans shared online that they had indeed received free beverages, many came to believe the story was true. However, Seungkwan firmly denied the claim. "I have never prepaid money at that restaurant, not even once. It's simply not true," he said. He continued, "I'm no longer in contact with that friend. We filmed something like a vlog together with good intentions, but after fans started visiting the restaurant, something happened that I can't explain in detail. It crossed a line that I couldn't tolerate." Seungkwan also expressed concern over fans who were negatively affected by the situation. "Some fans were actually harmed. I could never tolerate fans being put in that position," he said. "I'm not trying to stop anyone from visiting the restaurant if they genuinely enjoy the food, but I don't want something I never did to spread around as if it were a heartwarming story." He also warned fans about people impersonating him. "Anyone claiming to be my friend and saying they can get you concert tickets or connect you with me in exchange for money is lying. I never do things like that," he emphasized. Seungkwan concluded by saying that while he may occasionally pay for someone's meal if they happen to run into each other by chance, he will never leave advance payments at restaurants. He added, "If anyone impersonates me or if you've suffered a similar scam, please report it to my agency via email."
