Popular Female Idol Apologizes For “Emotional Reaction” To Backlash From Boy Group’s Fans
Singer Lee Chaeyeon recently found herself in a dispute with fans of the group ONF and has since issued an apology. Chaeyeon had set up a flea market, inviting her fellow company mates, ONF. Fans of ONF had been furious as the boys had an upcoming concert, and a member had turned up to the concert with a sore throat. They blamed his participation in Chaeyeon’s flea market.
In response to the backlash, on May 25, 2025, she had tried to explain the situation to fans of the group, claiming that ONF had been more than willing to participate.
And I told the group they didn’t have to do it since their schedules didn’t match. Do you know why it ended up having six episodes? Because they wanted to do it. They had a fan sign event that day and asked for it to be filmed after the event, so we changed the filming schedule for them. And since they wanted to do it so badly, we recruited guests for each episode. Do you know why I am even telling you all this? The artists prepared so hard for this because they wanted to meet their fans up close, and I don’t know how much of the blame I’m supposed to take for this.”
— Lee Chaeyeon
On May 26, 2025, through the fan communication platform Fromm, Lee Chaeyeon expressed her feelings. She issued a formal apology to the fans and tried to take responsibility.
“I’ve decided to write again because I think it’s cowardly to stay silent after causing a big stir, and that could lead to even more misunderstandings. I wrote my previous post late at night while feeling upset, and although I tried not to be emotional, looking back, I realize it came across as quite emotional. Of course, it’s natural for there to be various opinions, and I know very well that the majority voice isn’t everything. Seeing that others besides myself were also hurt made me feel even more sorry. I think I disrupted the excitement and joy of an upcoming big event. I sincerely apologize. I hope we can now calm down and comfort each other. We’re all working hard to live in a harsh and sharp-edged world. Let’s spend our time supporting and comforting one another. I will also do my best not to hurt the feelings of my seniors and our fans. I won’t act in a way that would make me ashamed of myself going forward. I’ll take responsibility and be careful even with video uploads. Once again, I want to sincerely apologize to those who were hurt because of me.”
Previously, Lee Chaeyeon held a flea market event, which featured guests including singers Baekho, Kei, and ONF members E-Tion, Seungjun, and MK.
You can read more about the initial backlash below.
Fourth-Gen Female Idol Hit With Fierce Backlash For Inviting Male Idol Group
