Creator Park Wi faces backlash over high lecture fees after KTX incident

South Korean creator Park Wi is embroiled in controversy following revelations about his past lecture fees, with reports surfacing of contracts worth substantial sums, including one for 9.35 million won for a single talk. This scrutiny intensified after Park publicly criticized a social service worker's actions following a KTX accident, which led to significant public backlash.

Details of Park's past engagements have circulated online, with one online community post highlighting a contract from August 4th with the Gangnam Cultural Foundation for a 'barrier-free performance talk concert' valued at 9.35 million won. This particular event was subsequently canceled on August 24th, following the controversy surrounding Park's criticism of the social service worker.

Further revelations include a contract from April for the 'Bupyeong Play Day' Children's Day festival, where Park's company, Wiracle Factory, was paid 4.462 million won. Past lectures also commanded high fees, with Geumsan County Library reportedly paying 5 million won for a 2023 lecture aimed at youth. The combined fees from these three contracts alone reportedly exceed the average annual income of a salaried worker.

The controversy began when Park shared CCTV footage on his YouTube channel detailing an incident on August 14th where he fell with his wheelchair while disembarking from a KTX train. He pointed to the social service worker assisting him, implying fault in their handling of the situation. This led to public debate about whether the worker's actions warranted such public criticism, causing public opinion to turn against Park.

Following the incident and subsequent apology, Park has seen a decline in his YouTube subscribers, and numerous scheduled lectures and events have been canceled. His upcoming lecture on August 27th, titled 'Wiracle, A Miracle for All of Us,' organized by the Seoul Youth Policy Network, was also canceled, with the organizers citing a comprehensive review of the event's purpose and operational direction.