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Following "Single's Inferno" break-out star Song Ji-A's fake designer wear controversy, fellow contestant Kim Hyeon-joong has since unfollowed her.
The two had "gotten together" in the finale of the Netflix dating show, after which Kim had continued to follow Song on Instagram, even though she did not return the sentiment.
In response to the backlash he received from unfollowing Song, the fitness model has clarified the situation with Korean media.
Backlash received from unfollowing Song
Koreaboo reported that Kim received backlash for unfollowing Song after she was embroiled in the fake designer wear controversy.
Some fans of the show had turned against him for his decision and called him a "loser" for his "pathetic" behaviour.
They interpreted his unfollowing of Song as an attempt to cut ties with her, and that he had only liked her in the beginning for her wealth and designer wear.
No ill feelings towards Song
However, according to Allkpop, Kim revealed that he and Song still "have good feelings towards each other," got along well, and continued to be in contact when the show was being broadcasted.
"What reason would there be to cut ties with her?" he said.
Kim added that he is unable to share more details about his personal conversations with Song for various reasons, including broadcast-related regulations.
However, the 28-year-old wanted to make known that he has no ill feelings towards Song at all.
Addressing why he unfollowed Song, he started by saying that many people were interested in the two of them, and Song was not following him either.
He claimed he did not wish to encourage more talk about this matter so he just unfollowed her.
Besides insisting that there was no other reason behind his action, he also said that he was not aware that she was embroiled in controversy.
Kim also disclosed that he was unable to contact Song since the news about her controversy broke and remains cautious about discussing it.
Nonetheless, he spoke positively of her based on his past interactions with her, describing her as a bright, kind, and diligent person.
"I'm also very grateful to Song for choosing me."
Received harsh comments due to misunderstandings
The reality star admitted that he went through a difficult time due to the harsh comments that arose from misunderstandings and assumptions on the viewers' part, adding that the rest of the cast faced the same struggles.
While he had predicted that such misunderstandings could occur due to the video editing, he noted that some of the harsh comments were out of line.
Kim also explained that he was suffering from a dislocated shoulder during the filming and believed that his expressions of pain were interpreted differently by audiences.
The fitness model thanked the audience for their interest and expressed his hope for people not to hate it too much, and not to judge it after seeing only one side of the story.
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Top images by Song Ji-A's and Kim Hyeon-joong's Instagram page and Netflix.