Kim Sung-kyu (김성규), leader of K-pop group INFINITE (인피니트), recently recounted a surprising incident from his past. He revealed that he once received a letter from someone claiming to be a fan, only to open it and find three full pages of insults, criticizing everything from his singing and acting to his personal life. The experience left him stunned.
On October 27, INFINITE's official YouTube channel released a short video titled "The Courage to Be Disliked." The clip featured unaired footage from a consultation segment uploaded on October 22, where members Kim Sung-kyu, Nam Woo-hyun (남우현), and Lee Sung-yeol (이성열) chatted and unexpectedly discussed their past experiences with online haters.
Kim Sung-kyu recalled receiving a letter before a performance, initially believing it to be words of encouragement from a fan. However, upon reading it, he discovered all three pages were filled with criticism and insults. He shared, "The person criticized my singing, my acting, and even my life." Seeing someone dedicate so much time and effort solely to insult him made him think, "Someone must really want to hurt me."
Despite the malicious content, this letter prompted Kim Sung-kyu to adjust his mindset. He admitted that he was initially shaken and even depressed after reading it. However, he later read another letter filled with support and encouragement, realizing that positive messages far outnumbered the negative criticism.
Lee Sung-yeol and Nam Woo-hyun agreed, stating, "There are clearly far more people who support us, over 90% are." Kim Sung-kyu reflected that with so many people genuinely caring for him, there was no need to change himself or live behind a mask just to appease the malicious criticism of a few.
He thus realized that when facing external criticism, "the courage to be disliked" is crucial. There's no need to deny oneself or lose one's true identity because of a minority's ill will.
INFINITE continues to share daily life and conversations with fans through their official YouTube channel, keeping them updated and engaged.
