Idol-turned-actor Rowoon raised eyebrows after revealing the "real" reason he left the K-pop boy group SF9.

Was his reason valid?

Rowoon Explains Leaving SF9 Was for Him to Be 'More Serious' in Acting

Actor and former idol Rowoon expressed his feelings after leaving the group SF9.

On October 30, a production presentation for the KBS's new Monday-Tuesday drama, "The Matchmaker," was held along with PD Hwang Seung Ki and the main cast, Rowoon and actress Cho Yi Hyun.

This will be Rowoon's first return in a sageuk (historical drama) following his 2021 hit KBS series, "The King's Affection."

During the interview, Rowoon mentioned his determination to become a full-fledged actor after leaving the K-pop boy group SF9. Although he said that sageuk is a genre he's not confident about, Rowoon showed his enthusiasm for acting, saying:

"I strongly wanted to overcome what I am not confident about. I am 27 years old this year and I want to do acting for a long time.

I have this desire to be recognized, regardless of whether I do well or not.

Is it natural to get in trouble before being recognized? I try to take on this challenge and work harder for what I am not confident about."

Regarding the real reason for his withdrawal from SF9, Rowoon explained:

"I want to be more serious about my career as an actor.

There will be some people who will be upset. However, it's something that I have already decided while considering it in mind. I think (acting) will be a stepping stone for good growth if I were to make them understand, so I made a difficult choice."

FANTASYs Disappointed At Rowoon's Reason for Leaving SF9

Following the production presentation, Rowoon's interview circulated on social media platforms and online communities.

While some FANTASYs (SF9 fandom) sincerely cheered on the idol-turned-actor's decision to career-shift, many still showed sour reactions to his explanation.

ALSO READ: Rowoon Kicked Out? FNC Announces SF9 To Start Afresh As 8-Member Group 

The phrase "be more serious" about acting didn't sit well with some, and they criticized him that a lot of idols, such as ASTRO Cha Eun Woo, EXO D.O., SNSD YoonA, 2PM Junho and more, remain in their respective K-pop groups despite being "serious" in their acting career.

Others then accused him of only using his initial popularity as an idol to become known in the acting field and he wasn't actually fully committed to doing it.

• "He's not even the best actor in the group. "
• "I think he needs to think more about why fans were disappointed, rather than trying to make them understand."
• "If he had been more serious as an idol, there wouldn't have been so many people frustrated."
• "Even if it's not that case, it feels like he used his status as an idol as a 'stepping stone' to debut as an actor."
• "Have you ever wanted to be more serious in acting? But you were so negligent as an idol."
• "Isn't the team more important? You should have debuted as an actor from the beginning."
• "You're just throwing more salt at the wounded fans."

What are your thoughts on Rowoon's reason to leave SF9? Tell us in the comments!

READ MORE: K-pop Idols Who Left Group to Focus on Acting — Son Naeun, Rowoon, Yeonwoo, More!

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Written by Eunice Dawson.