RESCENE member Woni briefly left the stage during a congratulatory performance in Gyeongju on October 31 after a shrunken stage costume left her struggling to breathe, before returning to finish the show.
South Korean outlet TV Report reported on November 2 that Woni herself explained the mid-performance exit through a fan communication platform, after fans were surprised to see her expression change and watch her hurry offstage during the group’s “Runway” performance.
The performance was part of the opening ceremony for the APEC Summit Memorial Hall at Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, an event marking the APEC summit held in Gyeongju. Woni left the stage partway through the performance, and fellow member Minami and the other members covered her absence until she came back.
According to the report, Woni said she had already worried that wearing a stage costume for several hours in Gyeongju would be difficult and that a fitting should have been checked in advance. The costume was then sent for washing and shrank significantly, she explained, and she only discovered how much smaller it had become when she changed at the venue. Because she could not perform alone in casual clothes while the other members wore stage outfits, she went onstage in the tightened costume, and the combination of the tight fit and intense dancing left her suddenly unable to breathe.
The report carried no separate statement from RESCENE’s agency, and it mentioned no medical diagnosis or hospital treatment. Woni’s own account, as relayed in the report, focused on the costume problem rather than a health condition, and she was able to return to the stage and complete the rest of the performance safely.
RESCENE debuted in March 2024. The group gained renewed attention when “Love Attack,” first released in August 2024, climbed to the top of the Melon Top 100 in July, a reverse run that brought the group wider notice ahead of its next release.
The incident comes just before RESCENE’s next comeback, with the group’s fourth mini album “Pulse” due for release on November 3 at 6 p.m. through music platforms. Fans will be watching whether the group addresses stage wardrobe checks as it begins the new promotional cycle.
