Top Boy Group Star Deletes Instagram Post After Sparking Political Controversy
With political sensitivity running high in Korea during election periods, it seems even the smallest details from idols can become lightning rods for debate. THE BOYZ‘ Juyeon has come under scrutiny after a seemingly innocent Instagram story sparked unexpected political speculation.
The post — which included a song by popular artist girl in red — was uploaded earlier this week and quickly deleted after it began circulating on online communities.
While the song itself didn’t mention anything political, some netizens were quick to question whether the inclusion of the word “red” in the artist’s name was a subtle nod to the country’s conservative party, especially given the sensitive timing around elections in South Korea.
This isn’t the first time Juyeon has been caught up in a similar controversy. Last year, during the general elections, he reportedly used a Bubble profile picture wearing a red jacket that some interpreted as political. He later clarified that it was not intentional in response to the backlash.
A post on the popular online forum Pann discussing the deletion quickly gained attention, racking up more than 87,000 views in a matter of hours. The quick removal of his recent story suggests he or his agency may be attempting to avoid another wave of backlash. However, reactions online were mixed, with some users brushing off the situation entirely.
- “People aren’t criticizing him because no one knows who he is lol”
- “Never heard of him, so I don’t care”
- “LOL… he did this last year too? Hm”
- “Who even is this guy”
- “This is way overblown. It’s not even a song title… it’s literally the name of a group;;”
Juyeon’s incident follows a similar controversy involving aespa’s Karina, who posted a photo wearing a red jacket with the number 2 on it, along with a rose emoji — elements that some interpreted as support for the conservative candidate Kim Moon Soo. Despite SM Entertainment and Karina both issuing an apology, the backlash continued, from both international fans and Korean netizens who criticized the statement as insincere.
aespa Karina’s Controversial Outfit Makes It Onto Korean National News
You can read more about it below.
