Eric, a 23-year-old Korean singer and member of K-pop boy group THE BOYZ, accidentally shared a photo of a preservative packaging, mistaking it for a box of Pepero sticks on Monday morning. To share warm wishes on November 11, celebrated annually as Pepero Day, a South Korea holiday similar to Valentine’s On the day, the K-pop idol posted a handwritten letter to his fans. The loving message came with a photo of what he wholeheartedly believed to be Pepero, the hottie Korean snacka stick covered in chocolate, in the middle of the beloved holiday.

“I could buy 4.03 million Pepero sticks for the Derbys I love,” he wrote to THE BOYZ fandom.

However, it wasn’t until late that Eric finally realized that “Pepero’s” purchase was actually a pack of condoms that looked amusingly like the festive packaging Pepero boxes usually wore. What ultimately became a cause of embarrassment for the K-pop star was a collaborative product manufactured in the partnership between producer Barun Saenggak and GS25 convenience stores. The limited edition product “Love Day 11.11” was only available through Pepero Day.

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THE BOYZ’s Eric Deletes Condom Post on Pepero Day + Explains

A belated epiphany ultimately caused hilarious second-hand embarrassment among K-pop fans, and possibly an embarrassingly humorous staple memory for the 4th generation idol.

In a response to this issue, he finally explained himself on the fan communication app Bubble: “Happy Pepero Day! Honestly, I’m so embarrassed right now I want to hide for a week.” In a simple move, THE BOYZ member found solace in the fans’ responses, agreeing that he could have easily fallen into this trap as well.

Eric also confirmed through a series of Bubble messages that he picked up the “Pepero-like” condom pack from a store to share a heartfelt message with his fans. The hilarious mistaken identity eventually led him to quickly delete the post as the realization hit him.

Condom brand apologizes after THE BOYZ Eric’s hilarious mix-up

The condom maker also responded Monday afternoon to the headline-grabbing averted scandal. “We sincerely apologize for the confusion caused,” read the official statement on their Instagram page.

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The message continued: “We created this adorable set as a special product for the event called LOVE DAY 11.11, especially for November 11th. We are aware of comments that say: “I bought it thinking it was Pepero”, “Why make such cute adult products?” and “Barun Saenggak should apologize”. We apologize; that was entirely our responsibility.”

Also urging people to keep an open mind about contraception, the brand wrote: “Our brand activities aim to reduce negative perceptions when buying or owning contraceptives. The condoms included in this product are considered medical devices, not adult products, and may be purchased by adolescents. If our product can raise awareness, we will accept any responsibility for this incident.”

The statement concluded: “We also sincerely apologize to GS25 store managers who may have mistakenly displayed the product in the snack aisle instead of the appropriate section.”