If you’re a K-pop fan, you’ve probably seen the name Beomhan (범한) pop up on social media, as he’s well-known within the community for his internet personality and meme-worthy antics. However, not everyone knows who he truly is or what led to his popularity.
Beomhan, whose real name is Harald Wu, is a Chinese-American singer and former trainee under FM Entertainment for the pre-debut boy group M.O.N.T subunit. However, he was eventually let go by the company after hinting at issues during his live streams. He later attempted to debut with a track he entirely produced, mixed, choreographed, and directed himself, but the release fell short of fans’ expectations.
Recently, the former FM Entertainment trainee has come under fire on Twitter, making headlines for his controversial actions. Following Donald Trump’s election victory earlier this week, which left many American women devastated—primarily due to concerns over reproductive rights and potential further restrictions—Beomhan attempted to make a joke by saying, “Rest in peace to all women,” and went on to sarcastically congratulate the newly elected president of the United States.
After being called out for his insensitive comment, he initially apologised. However, the 23-year-old later retracted his apology as harassment continued, responding defensively to hateful comments. The situation escalated when he conducted a live stream on Instagram, calling it “career suicide” and proceeding to rant at viewers, screaming and cursing. At one point in the broadcast, he repeatedly used the R slur, which quickly drew further backlash online.
After clips from the live broadcasts went viral, Beomhan issued another apology and clarified his political stance. He concluded the statement by hoping that others would be mindful of their words on the internet. “Telling people the world would be happier if they were unalived or openly calling someone slurs behind a screen has a bigger impact than you realise,” as he stated that he would return soon to talk further about this chaos.
However, the damage was already done, with fans reacting negatively and expressing disappointment in the internet personality. Many comments suggested that Beomhan was indifferent to women’s rights from the start. Others defended him, arguing that he shouldn’t have apologised and that the joke was only blown out of proportion.
While his actions did cause hurt to those affected, it’s important to remember that responding with death threats is not constructive. What’s your take on this issue?
Watch the reposted viral clips here:
@heeswifey Beomhan talking about the election / EDIT: this situation is NOT an excuse to send him 💀 thre4ts or similar hate so refrain from typing such comments and if i see comments like this they WILL be deleted. ⚠️#beomhan #heeswifey #election #kamala #kamalaharris2024🇺🇸💙 #yunjinsupportingkamala
@gigiasingg UR KINDA WHAT IM CRYINGG U KNOW ITS BAD WHWN EVEN THE R WORDED QUEEN SHOKED CUZ #beomhanforlatinas #BEOMHANFANCLUB
@joyxvly that man truly IS crazy #beomhan #kpop #fyp #xzyabc #beomhanlive #dontletthisflop #mentalhealth #viral_video #kpopstan #boygroup #bts_official_bighit #soloistkpop #4u
Source: Twitter (1)(2), TikTok (1)(2)
Alia contributed to this article.
