From lighthearted moments to serious crimes, these 10 controversial moments were some of the most talked about K-Pop/Korean news events of the year. Check them out below.
1. ADOR reveals video footage of ILLIT greeting NewJeans, disputing Hanni’s claims.
The moment shifted the public sentiment.
Masalah yg diangkat apa? Nj kagak dikasih salam sama Illit atas suruhan manajer. Kemarin ditunjukkin bukti cctv, nyatanya gk ada bukti manajernya suruh. Si Mhj yg tanya “mereka cuekin kamu?”, si Hanni bilang “gak tau”. Tapi dari sebelumnya dia yakin banget. Ini sidang ke-2 Hanni pic.twitter.com/YYYFM2qpfI
— Nahl 🔞 (@nahlis_Iya) March 9, 2025
2. KISS OF LIFE‘s Julie, and VERIVERY‘s Kangmin and Yeonho were caught in a private room together.
The CCTV went viral online.
تم تسريب مقطع ل #Julie من KISS OF LIFE و #juyeonho من VERIVERYو #yookangmin وهم يدخنون ويشربون الكحول معًا pic.twitter.com/Vk26fesdmB
— ASIAN WAVE (@asia__wave) September 26, 2025
3. Kim Sae Ron’s aunt exposed actor Kim Soo Hyun’s relationship with the late actress when she was underage.
The moment rocked the internet and swayed public opinions of the actor indefinitely.
4. Former NCT’s Taeil admits to aggravated rape charges.
Taeil was previously indicted without detention in March on charges of sexually assaulting a drunken foreign woman with two acquaintances in June 2024.
4. 2NE1’s Dara admits to dating a 14-year-old at age 19.
The moment sparked a controversial debate online about cultural norms.
Sandara Park Allegedly Grooming a 14 year old when she was 19.
byu/Chef-Me-Hearty-4444 inChikaPH
5. Many dating rumors took the internet by storm, including BTS’s Jungkook and aespa’s Winter.
There were many alleged couples talked about online, but Jungkook and Winter’s alleged relationship shook social media to the core.
6. 2PM’s Taecyeon was caught proposing to his girlfriend after fans found the photographer’s Instagram.
Nobody knew until this moment.
7. Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany and Actor Byun Yo Han are revealed to be in a relationship and getting married soon.
The sudden announcement took the internet by surprise.
8. Multiple idols/celebrities have come out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
JUST B’s Bain, XG‘s Cocona, and KATSEYE’s Lara have all spoken their truth related to their sexualities and/or identities this year.
BAIN COMING OUT 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 #JUSTB_WORLD_TOUR pic.twitter.com/GfzYUJcS1k
— ☆ (@markrizzowski) April 23, 2025
9. Ju Haknyeon was kicked out of THE BOY following an alleged meeting with Japanese porn star.
He has since opened up about the incident for the first time since his dismissal from the group.
10. Actress Nana started a debate when she made a statement about THE BOYZ Sunwoo’s alleged rudeness towards staff.
The moment blew up online and sparked a debate about who was in the wrong.
Actress Nana Publicly Calls Out THE BOYZ’s Sunwoo For Alleged Rude Behavior Towards Staff
