#WonhoWeGotYourBack Trends as 300,000 Monsta X Fans Sign Petition Calling for Wonho's Return to K-Pop Band

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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The love for Monsta X has shown no signs of slowing down since former member Wonho announced his departure from the K-pop boy band.

Heartbroken fans have been signing an online petition in support of Monsta X and Wonho's return to the group which has gathered more than 300,000 signatures, according to Digital Music News.

One super fan—Twitter user @kihbebes—has also raised more than $25,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a billboard to be displayed in New York City's Times Square in support of Monsta X.

"We are going to make a graphic and display it in Times Square, where it will be on a board for 21 hours, a 15 second spot, 30 times per hour.

"They will not put out this fire inside of us... fire needs oxygen, Monsta X needs Monbebe. Starship [the management company of Monsta X] cannot ignore us," the user wrote on the GoFundMe website.

"Hi everyone !! just wanted to let you all know that the billboard has been ordered !! please be proud of yourselves, we did all of this together. the billboard will start at 5 am wednesday until 2 am, same with thursday," @kihbebes wrote on Twitter.

Fans have taken to social media to share their continued support for the group and their pleas for Wonho to rejoin the band using the hashtag #WonhoWeGotYourBack, which has been trending on Twitter.

"Look at this beautiful family :( please do not separate them," pined user @uItyuzu.

look at this beautiful family :( please do not separate them #WonhoWeGotYourBack#몬베베는_널해 pic.twitter.com/EQHjMYvZU6

— yu (@uItyuzu) November 7, 2019

"I don't care how long we have to wait for you or how much longer we have to suffer through this, we will not stop fighting for you. ever," @uItyuzu added.

i don't care how long we have to wait for you or how much longer we have to suffer through this, we will not stop fighting for you. ever. #WonhoWeGotYourBack#몬베베는_널해 pic.twitter.com/zvDpZycChh

— yu (@uItyuzu) November 7, 2019

"In 7 days, mbbs [monbebes] have trended over 30 hashtags, while streaming, voting, and doing everything to support mx, we have made it known that we are here for them, we have been relentlessly fighting together for 7 days nonstop,"

in 7 days, mbbs have trended over 30 hashtags, while streaming, voting, and doing everything to support mx, we have made it known that we are here for them, we have been relentlessly fighting together for 7 days nonstop..#WonhoWeGotYourBack #몬베베는_널해 @OfficialMonstaX pic.twitter.com/ax05Mhw1LM

— kinius ? | fatal love ♡༄ (@jookiheon) November 7, 2019

"We don't care how many people make fun of us or try to discourage us by telling us to give up. We're not going anywhere until you're together and happy again. there's nothing that shines more than you," declared @xBabyBunnyWonho

We don't care how many people make fun of us or try to discourage us by telling us to give up. We're not going anywhere until you're together and happy again.

there's nothing that shines more than you. #WonhoWeGotYourBack#몬베베는_널해 @OfficialMonstaX pic.twitter.com/3qqnjyFxYo

— ✰ á’ªOᐯE YOá‘Œ ᒍOá‘ŽGᕼYᑌᑎ ✰ (@xBabyBunnyWonho) November 7, 2019

"And my heart broken into million pieces on that day, I cant believe something like this happen to our precious babies," wrote @LittleBunny__, recalling the day of Wonho's exit was announced.

Monsta X iHeartRadio Music Festival Las Vegas
Monsta X at the iHeartRadio Music Festival held at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on September 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images

Wonho recently parted ways with Monsta X, after a number of accusations were made against the singer, including claims Wonho borrowed money from Jung Da Eun, his former castmate on the Korean comedy show Ulzzang Shidae.

Wonho, stated in a personal letter addressed to fans that he was "apologetic for causing harm to the members due to the unfortunate issues related to me" and "reached this decision after seeing people having a hard time because of me."

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About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more