Youtuber Park Wi is facing new backlash as details about his lecture fees and public contracts surfaced online following the controversy over the release of CCTV footage from his KTX accident.
The situation began after an accident on August 14, where Park Wi fell while getting off a KTX train because the wheel of his wheelchair caught on the foot of a social service worker who was helping him.On August 21, Park Wi posted CCTV footage of the accident on his Youtube channel to raise concerns about the need for safer train boarding for people with disabilities.
At the time, netizens criticized him for sharing the footage, especially since the worker had already apologized at the scene. Many argued that sharing the footage went too far because it could expose the worker's identity.
Park Wi eventually took down the footage from his channel and issued an apology, saying:
"I failed to fully consider the perspective of the staff member who did their best to help me at the scene and apologized."Alongside the backlash, there were also suspicions that Park Wi may have received special treatment to obtain the CCTV footage. However, KORAIL clarified that their guidelines allow anyone involved in an incident to request and receive copies of their own footage.
As the controversy grew, public attention shifted to online posts sharing contract details between public institutions and Park Wi's affiliated companies, leading many to question whether his appearance fee were reasonable.
According to the publicly available contract records, Geumsan County invited Park Wi for a special lecture for teenagers at the Geumsan County Public Library in 2023 through Saramson Contents & Works for 5 million KRW (around 3,600 USD).
A special lecture service organized by Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, for Children's Day Festival 2026 has also resurfaced. The contract was signed with the company represented by Park Wi, Wiracle Factory Inc., for 4.462 million KRW (around $3,200 USD).
Public records further revealed a 9.35 million KRW (aroud 6,750 USD) contract signed with Inside Out Core Inc. for 'Wiracle Park Wi's Talk Concert.' Set for August 28, the 60-minute event, which included sign language, wheelchair seating, Braille leaflets, and subtitles, was abruptly canceled due to 'unavoidable circumstances' as the backlash grew.
However, observers note that total contract amount do not represent the amount Park Wi personally receives. Besides his appearance fee, the total amount also covers event costs like planning, staff, equipment, and accessibility support.
Still, because these contracts are worth several million KRW, many people online are showing fairly cold response. Some commented, "That's way more money for a single lecture than I expected," and "The humble, positive image he emphasized in his lectures doesn't match the way he handled the recent situation."
On the other hand, others defended him, saying, "That could simply be the normal booking rates for a well-known speaked," and "The fees stated in the contract also includes the event setup costs, not just his appearance fee."
