A terrifying story shared by former Produce 101 Season 2 contestant and LIMITLESS member Seong Hyunwoo is resurfacing amid renewed attention surrounding crime and safety on Jeju Island.
Hyunwoo originally revealed the chilling encounter in February 2026, recounting how what was supposed to be a peaceful trip to Jeju allegedly ended with him being chased through the streets by a man armed with a sashimi knife.
According to Hyunwoo, he had booked a guesthouse in a relatively quiet part of Jeju because he wanted some time to relax. One evening around sunset, he went looking for dinner and found a nearby kalguksu restaurant. As there were few businesses still open in the area, he decided to eat there.
When he entered the large restaurant, there was only one other customer: a heavily intoxicated middle-aged man sitting a short distance away. Hyunwoo said the man soon began shouting and swearing at a waitress. He realized that she was a foreign worker who appeared to be struggling to understand what the customer was ordering.
As the man’s behavior became increasingly aggressive, restaurant staff reportedly began looking toward Hyunwoo as if hoping he might intervene. Eventually, Hyunwoo politely asked the man whether they could all simply eat quietly. Rather than calming down, however, the request allegedly angered him further.
The restaurant owner eventually made the intoxicated customer leave, and Hyunwoo got the impression that the owner was already acquainted with him. Afterward, the owner and waitress repeatedly offered Hyunwoo complimentary food to thank him for stepping in. Rather than reassuring him, however, Hyunwoo said the extent of their gratitude left him with an uneasy feeling.
He quickly paid for his meal and left. That was when the situation became genuinely terrifying. While outside, Hyunwoo heard someone repeatedly calling him over. Initially unsure who was trying to get his attention, he approached, only to realize it was the same man from the restaurant.
According to Hyunwoo, the man approached him while suspiciously keeping his hands behind his back. He then allegedly asked him, “Are you good at fighting?” Moments later, Hyunwoo claimed the man revealed a sashimi knife. Even more frighteningly, he said the knife’s handle appeared to be tied to the man’s wrist, making it difficult for him to simply lose or drop the weapon.
Hyunwoo subsequently realized that the man apparently operated a sashimi restaurant nearby. Recognizing the immediate danger, Hyunwoo tried not to provoke him. He slowly began backing away before suddenly turning and running. The man allegedly chased after him while still carrying the knife.
Hyunwoo recalled that everything happened so quickly that he didn’t even have an opportunity to stop and contact the police. His priority was simply getting away. Eventually, he found a stone wall and hid behind it, remaining completely silent as he listened for the man’s footsteps. Only after the footsteps had passed did he emerge and cautiously make his way back to his guesthouse.
Once he was somewhere safe, Hyunwoo finally contacted police and reported that a man armed with a knife had chased him. According to Hyunwoo, authorities later told him that they had found the suspect nearby and restrained him while he was still holding the weapon.
The story didn’t end when Hyunwoo returned to Seoul either. Months later, he reportedly received an official notification informing him that the man had been charged with intimidation using special objects, reinforcing just how serious the encounter had been.
When Hyunwoo first shared the experience, viewers were horrified by how quickly an ordinary dinner had escalated into a potentially life-threatening situation. The 2025 account is now attracting attention again as recent incidents have sparked renewed conversations about personal safety and crime on Jeju Island.
Hyunwoo fortunately escaped the encounter without being physically harmed. In August 2026, crimes and missing persons cases that were covered up on the island became a nationwide scandal with the authorities investigating local police authority.