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Singer Bobby Kim is at the center of online controversy after a guerrilla-style concert he attempted at Korea University was canceled due to low turnout — an incident now drawing criticism toward the show’s producers for poor planning and lack of consideration.

On May 15, the YouTube channel "Studio Hey" uploaded an episode titled “A stage so sad even the producers cried while editing.” In it, Bobby Kim was tasked with a mission to see how influential he remained among the MZ generation by promoting a pop-up concert on foot and drawing at least 100 people to attend.

Wearing a sandwich board and roaming Korea University’s Anam campus, Kim personally promoted the event, singing snippets of his hits like “Love… That Guy,” “Tic Tac Toe,” and “Whale’s Dream.” He visited classrooms and approached students and faculty in hopes of gathering a crowd.

When the time for the concert arrived, however, only four audience members showed up — none of them students, but acquaintances of a professor. A message on the screen read, “Today’s performance is canceled,” and the production crew sent the few attendees away.

Despite the outcome, Kim remained gracious. “I’m thankful to the people I met today. I’ll treasure the experience,” he said. Interviews with Korea University students revealed that a large-scale school festival was being held on the same day, drawing most of the student body away from Kim’s event.

After the episode was shared on various online communities, a wave of backlash erupted against the producers. Many viewers criticized them for a lack of preparation and empathy toward the artist.

“The concert should’ve gone on, no matter the turnout,” read one comment. Others called the cancellation “pointless” and “insensitive,” especially given that the shoot had official university approval. “How could they have not checked the school calendar?” one user wrote. Comments also accused the production of humiliating Kim for entertainment: “It wasn’t funny or heartwarming — just degrading,” and “They turned his legacy into a joke.”

The incident has ignited wider debate about how older artists are treated in modern media and the ethics of reality-style programming aimed at younger audiences.