Former K-Pop Idol A.M.'s Terrifying Jeju Island Knife Chase Resurfaces Amid Rising Safety Concerns

A.M. (Sung Hyun-woo, 성현우), a former leader of the boy group LIMITLESS and a contestant on Mnet's survival show “Produce 101 Season 2,” previously shared a terrifying incident during a trip to Jeju Island where he was chased by an allegedly intoxicated man wielding a large sashimi knife, narrowly escaping with his life. This harrowing account has recently resurfaced, drawing renewed attention amid a series of public safety concerns and missing persons cases reported on Jeju Island.

A.M. shared this experience on his YouTube channel in February of this year. He explained that the incident occurred in 2021 when he traveled alone to Jeju Island, seeking inspiration for his music. He stayed at a secluded guesthouse in the Seongsan area. One evening, while looking for dinner, he came across a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant. With few other establishments open nearby, he decided to dine there.

To his surprise, he was the only customer besides a heavily intoxicated middle-aged man. A.M. recalled the man verbally abusing a foreign part-time employee, who seemed to struggle with the language barrier and understanding the man's order. As the man grew increasingly agitated, restaurant staff occasionally glanced at A.M., seemingly hoping someone would intervene. Eventually, A.M. spoke up, asking the man, “I’m also a customer; can I eat in peace?”

Unexpectedly, his words redirected the man's anger towards him. After the restaurant owner intervened, the man was eventually asked to leave. A.M. thought the ordeal was over, but what followed was the true nightmare. After leaving the restaurant, A.M. suddenly heard someone repeatedly calling his name outside. Initially unsure who it was, he approached and realized it was the same man from the restaurant.

He recalled the man approaching him with both hands hidden behind his back, then suddenly asking, “Are you good at fighting?” The next second, the man pulled out a large sashimi knife. Even more frightening, A.M. noticed the man had seemingly bound the knife handle tightly to his wrist with bandages, making it difficult to drop. He then realized the situation was extremely dangerous and later discovered the man allegedly operated a sashimi restaurant nearby.

A.M. dared not provoke the man, slowly backing away before suddenly turning and running. To his horror, the man pursued him, sashimi knife in hand. “At that moment, I had only one thought: if I don’t run now, I might actually die.”

He stated there was no time to stop and call the police; all he could do was run for his life. Along the way, he found a stone wall and quickly hid behind it, not daring to make a sound. He held his breath, listening to the man’s footsteps. Only when the footsteps gradually faded did he emerge from his hiding spot, cautiously returning to his guesthouse.

Once safely back at the guesthouse, A.M. finally called the police, reporting that he had been chased by a man with a knife. Upon receiving the report, police rushed to the scene and located the man in a nearby alley, subduing him on the spot. A.M. recalled that the moment he saw the police, his intense emotional tension suddenly released, causing him to dry heave. Even while giving his statement afterward, his hands and feet continued to tremble uncontrollably.

According to reports, the man was later charged with special intimidation for threatening others with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced. A.M. also revealed that the police even told him that such knife threats were not uncommon on Jeju Island, leaving him even more shaken. This statement, upon recently regaining attention, sparked discussion among netizens, with some exclaiming, “He almost lost his life, and they say it’s common?” and “Luckily, he chose to run.”

Although A.M.’s experience occurred in 2021, he only publicly shared it in February of this year, admitting he had been afraid to discuss it on television or radio programs, fearing the man might see it and seek him out again.

Recent serial missing persons cases and public safety controversies on Jeju Island have brought the local security situation back into national focus. Consequently, A.M.’s past terrifying experience of being chased with a sashimi knife has been rediscovered by netizens.