HONG KONG, Sept 24 — Hong Kong singer William So Wing-hong has broken his silence following the cancellation of his upcoming concert in Wenzhou, China, due to a decades-old drug scandal.
In a social media post yesterday, a day before his 58th birthday, So wrote in Chinese: “Please allow me to sincerely apologise again. Because of a mistake I made 23 years ago, I’ve recently again used up some public resources, causing everyone to expend their energy on it. I am sorry.”
So was arrested in 2002 for taking Ecstasy at a Taipei pub and later sentenced to 11 days of drug rehabilitation.
Reflecting on the incident, he said: “I deeply understand that the stain of a mistake can never be erased. In the past 23 years, not a single day has passed without my remembering it. I have never tried to forget it, but I often think of it to remind myself to be good in every step of my life.”
He continued, urging the public to learn from his experience.
“I also hope that through my mistake and its consequences, everyone will reflect on the fact that we cannot live our life over again and that we must be careful in both our words and actions.”
So, known for hits such as A Man Shouldn’t Let A Woman Cry (1995) and To Love Someone Is Hard (1999), is married to fashion executive Anita Fung and the couple have an eight-year-old son.
In the same Facebook post, he highlighted the role of family and responsibility in his life.
“Thus, over the past 23 years, I’ve been diligently rebuilding my life, dedicating myself fully to my roles as a son, husband and father. I’ve come to understand that everyone must contribute to society, especially those who have made mistakes. Therefore, over the past 23 years, I’ve been doing my best to give back to society.”
Emphasising personal growth, So added: “To recognise one’s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. I’m not saying this to seek erasure of my blemish, but to hope that through my efforts, it will gradually fade, change colour and eventually become a scar that brings encouragement. Finally, I want to say to everyone once again: I’m sorry.”
The apology comes after his Wenzhou concert, originally scheduled for October 6 as part of the So Live World Tour, was cancelled.
A member of the public had lodged a complaint with authorities over So’s past drug offence, in line with China’s zero-tolerance approach to drugs.
Following this, the concert was removed from ticketing sites, and TVB reality show The Sound Of Talents, on which So served as a mentor, is reportedly no longer available in China.
