The lead singer of the longstanding Korean boy band Super Junior, Leeteuk, has faced a torrent on online backlash in the past week following his shouted declaration of love for President Donald Trump during a concert in California.
Leeteuk, whose real name is Park Jeong-su, and Super Junior performed in the greater Los Angeles area as part of a larger tour of stars by the South Korean record label SM Entertainment, one of the country’s most successful. As the Korea JoongAng Daily explained on May 14, the Super Junior performance included a variety of comedy segments and some off-hand jokes. It is not clear at press time if Leeteuk’s “I love Trump!” shout was intended as comedy or not, as neither SM nor the artist himself have directly addressed the situation at press time.
Videos began circulating last week of the band departing the stage in Los Angeles, following the publication of mainstream media reports about the concert that did not address the statements. Billboard wrote that “the jokes never stopped” during Super Junior’s performance but did not specify what those jokes were, except for Leeteuk’s repeated references to one member of the audience as “mom.”
Leeteuk does not appear to be on camera in the video footage but a man identified in multiple reports as him can be clearly heard on a microphone shouting “I love USA!” and his love for various American things. Among the statements were “I love In-N-Out” and “I love Five Guys,” both American fast food burger chains, in addition to “I love Trump.” The man identified as Leeteuk also at one point appeared to shout, “I love Elon Musk,” the green energy personality.
The comments did not appear to have any overt context, nor was Trump reportedly referenced in any other part of the concert.
The performance was part of the greater “SM Town 2025” world tour, marking the 30th anniversary of the record label, and also featured prominent Korean pop (K-pop) bands such as Riize, Red Velvet — whose members once famously performed for communist dictator Kim Jong-un in North Korea – and Aespa.
Super Junior itself is one of K-pop’s most longstanding boy band acts, founded in 2005. It is one of the most ambitious projects in the field due to its sheer number of members, initially debuting with 12 singers. The official SM Entertainment website currently lists ten members as part of the band, as well as the existence of six spin-off Super Junior bands.
Leeteuk’s comments appeared to cause “discomfort” among the crowd, JoongAng reported, and outrage among fans as video circulated online in the days following the concert. Some fans in disbelief reportedly attempted to defend the singer by claiming that he did not name “Trump” but in fact had attempted to pronounce the name of the fast-food chain Chipotle.
Much of the furor was expressed on Leeteuk’s social media pages, where he posted photos of the concert but did not address his remarks.
“did you really say you loved trump in smtown la? why did you say that? do you even know who trump is?” one commenter asked [sic throughout].
“So…I have been a fan of the band for a long, long time but supporting fascists and neo-nazies [sic] is too much for me. I’m not going to spend a single cent of my money on a band that is openly supporting such a disgusting politics. I guess this is end of an era for me,” said another commenter.
Leeteuk followed up his initial post with a video showing himself with bandmates visiting In-N-Out, an apparent nod to his comments on stage, but not one that clarified his intention with his alleged mentions of Trump. The post also attracted a wave of statements condemning Trump.
“Apologize for the words you said at SMTown LA,” one commenter demanded in Korean. “Trump is an evil man and I don’t think you’ll agree with his views, but regardless, it’s inappropriate to introduce politics at something that should be a happy place for ELF [Super Junior fans] and other fans. I believe you are a good person and won’t support someone like him and won’t speak maliciously.”
Super Junior is currently one of the biggest names on the SM label and starring in an online reality show that features band conversations as well as games and cooking competitions.
Korean pop music has become an international sensation in the past decade, including developing a significant fanbase in the United States. This has resulted in rare, but existing, moments of the K-pop world intersecting with American politics. In May 2022, for example, the boy band BTS – the most successful K-pop act in the world – visited the White House to meet with then-President Joe Biden on the occasion of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The band addressed reporters in the White House briefing room, where member Jimin declared that they visited the White House to help “put a stop to” anti-Asian racism.
BTS’s success in America caused controversy in China, where the Chinese Communist Party has censored the band. Chinese censors moved to erase online fan communities and other sources of news about BTS after the band’s leader, RM, thanked the United States in a 2021 speech for its support during the Korean War; Chinese state media demanded the band also thank China, which was at war with South Korea at the time.
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