“That’s a REAL man right there” — Fans applaud GOT7’s Youngjae for speaking out against rising violence toward women in South Korea

GOT7 member Youngjae garnered fans’ attention through his recent comments on the increasing crime rate against women in South Korea. Recently, Youngjae, in an audio livestream on the fan community app Bubble, shared his concerns regarding crimes against women. He urged his female fans to look out for themselves if they were traveling alone at night.

“Guys, you need to be careful. I don't get scared easily, but now, when I see so many crimes against women who live or walk alone on the streets...This is not right. So now, all of us, together, we all have to be careful. South Korea is no longer safe at night,” he said.

He further acknowledged that uncertainty over women's safety should not be a topic of discussion and that they should be able to freely travel.

“Honestly, the simple fact that we need to be careful is absurd. It shouldn't have to be this way. If everyone were sane, we would be happier,” he said.

As the statement went viral on social media, fans took to X, praising the GOT7 member for voicing his concerns regarding women's safety in the country.

"That's a REAL man right there. My pride," a fan said.

"GOT7 members are so against deforestation that they turned themselves into trees to create a green forest. Kings!" wrote a fan.

"Even while he had his own radio show, he advocated for women, sends greetings on intl women's day, always worries abt his fans getting home safely after an event, asking if we ate well, telling us to stay happy & healthy. Youngjae is the greenest flag," said another fan.

Fans also pointed out that this was not the first time the GOT7 member has expressed his thoughts on societal issues concerning women.

"A man who always stands up for women, not the first time he’s talked about this sort of stuff, " commented a user.

"trust youngjae to always be vocal when it comes to things that concern womens' rights," wrote another user.

"the fact that it's not even something new from him, because he's always been outspoken and has used his status as an idol to advocate for women," added a netizen.

Several more netizens expressed similar sentiments, with many expressing their hopes that other male artists also speak up about the issue.

"So real. Great to hear a male idol speaking up about the sh*t women in South Korea go through. It’s a massive issue in East Asia in general, Japan being the other big example. Whenever people bring it up online it’s just white rw weirdos shutting women down," said a fan.

"so happy to see an idol giving out statements like this (ik bare minimum and yes action speak louder than words) but for a country like SK, that’s huge. i hope more men (especially in kpop / kdramas) speak more abt their current issues involving gender equality," wrote another fan.

"A korean man... talking publicly about women being in danger. Showing concern. GOT7 really is built different cause I never thought I'd see the day," added a user.

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GOT7's Youngjae's message on International Women's Day comes to light amid recent concerns

Youngjae of GOT7 went viral on social media for raising his voice against the surge in crimes against women in South Korea. Hence, fans have also highlighted how the GOT7 vocalist has showcased support and advocated for women on different occasions.

On March 8, 2025, he shared a message for female iGOT7s (GOT7 fandom) celebrating International Women's Day.

“Have a great day, everyone!!! And today is International Women's Day. Thank you so much for being born, congratulations!!!”

Youngjae further encouraged male fans to celebrate the day with women around them, saying:

“Oh, and as I said last time, if there are any men out there, please congratulate them together~~~~”

In other news, Youngjae made his return to acting after three years with the web series titled Friendly Rivalry, starring Lee Hye-ri along with Chung Su-bin. He gained attention for his depiction of Nam Byeong-jin, the antagonist of the series. Notably, this was Youngjae's first venture into playing an antagonist character.

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Friendly Rivalry is available on Rakuten Viki and Netflix for streaming.