SHINee's Onew has finally apologized to singer Sung Si Kyung for a memorable forehead flick incident that happened 16 years ago on a Korean variety show.
The two singers reunited during the October 23 episode of KBS 2TV's music talk show The Seasons: Sung Si Kyung's Eardrum Boyfriend, where they looked back on the hilarious moment from 2010.
During the recording, Sung Si Kyung brought up the time he received a powerful forehead flick from Onew on the KBS variety show Night Star in October 2010.
At the time, Sung Si Kyung had failed a quiz asking him to identify one of his biggest hit songs, resulting in a punishment that required him to receive a forehead flick from Onew.
Onew was famously nicknamed the "forehead flick machine" because of his unusually strong flicking ability.
Before receiving the punishment, Sung Si Kyung jokingly complained about meeting Onew for the first time, saying, "The hierarchy in the music industry has really broken down."
He then wondered aloud, "How much could it possibly hurt?"
However, after Onew flicked his forehead, Sung Si Kyung was visibly overwhelmed by the pain and struggled to lift his head for some time, leaving the other cast members laughing.
When asked how he felt afterward, Sung Si Kyung humorously replied, "I don't really have any thoughts. It's not that I hate Onew, but my situation..."
He was unable to finish his sentence, making the moment even more memorable.
Sixteen years later, the two watched the old footage together during The Seasons, bringing back the embarrassing but funny memory.
Onew appeared flustered as he recalled the incident and offered a belated apology.
He said, "I still break out in a cold sweat thinking about it. I'm sorry."
His reaction brought laughter to the studio as the singers revisited the unforgettable variety show moment.
Meanwhile, Onew also discussed his latest music activities, including collaborations with Zico and Yuju on his recently released album.
He explained that working with different artists had positively influenced his creative process.
The SHINee member also demonstrated a dance challenge inspired by his collaboration with Zico, encouraging Sung Si Kyung and the studio audience to join him.
The episode also featured performances and appearances by WOODZ, IVE's Liz, and NCT WISH.
While Onew's appearance highlighted his recent music projects, his unexpected apology to Sung Si Kyung brought renewed attention to their amusing encounter from 16 years ago, turning a once-painful forehead flick into another lighthearted television moment.
