It turns out Fly To The Sky member Brian once had a surprisingly strong dislike for Super Junior member Kim Heechul—and it all stemmed from what he perceived as a major breach of respect during their early days at SM Entertainment.
Fly To The Sky’s Brian | Newsis
In a recent upload to his YouTube channel, Brian sat down with Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and Donghae to revisit a moment from the label’s trainee era that clearly left a lasting impression.
While reminiscing, Brian admitted that he “f*cking hated” Kim Heechul back in the day, before quickly clarifying that things are completely different now. At the time, however, the reason felt justified.
Super Junior’s Kim Heechul | Tenasia
According to Brian, the tension began with a brief encounter in Cheongdam-dong. Spotting Heechul first, Brian recognized him as a fellow SM Entertainment trainee and greeted him. Instead of responding respectfully, Heechul allegedly gave a short, dismissive acknowledgment, simply saying “Oh, yeah” before walking off.
For Brian, the moment crossed an unspoken industry line.
Within the rigid sunbae–hoobae hierarchy of K-Pop culture, greetings are more than just polite gestures. So being brushed off by a junior didn’t sit well. Brian admitted he was bothered enough to vent to his groupmate Hwanhee and even escalate the issue to management.
The story drew a strong reaction from Eunhyuk, who openly expressed frustration at the situation while also jokingly questioning whether Heechul’s well-known poor eyesight was really to blame.
Ironically, the incident may have had a lasting impact beyond just hurt feelings. Eunhyuk pointed out that around that same time, SM Entertainment trainees suddenly began receiving formal etiquette training—specifically focused on greetings—leading to speculation that Brian’s complaint may have played a role in shaping company culture.
Despite the blunt language used to describe his past feelings, Brian made it clear that there’s no lingering animosity!
Watch the full episode here: