5th Gen Idol “Trauma-Dumping” On Fans Sparks Massive Concern
He compared himself to his members.
Koreaboo
Recently, posts made by CLOSE YOUR EYES member Yeojun have become a topic of discussion.
Yeojun has been a member of CLOSE YOUR EYES since their debut, and recently took a brief hiatus after being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
In a viral post on a popular forum, multiple messages from the idol were shared, including ones in which he spoke about his appearance. He also compared himself to the other members, knocking his own popularity.
- “If it’s not a close-up schedule, no one really looks at me. I work hard, but on my way home, I end up thinking my problem is my face. But today, instead of my face, I was wondering what I should do for the noona I love.”
- “No, no, I didn’t mean it as something that serious.”
- “LOL”
- “When I first debuted, I was really stressed, but now I’ve gotten used to it. And since there are people who like me, when I think about them, I feel completely fine.”
- “Anyway, I can’t even do rock-paper-scissors with you.” [talking about a fan event]
- “People end up doing it with other members…”
- “Sigh ”
- “Is there nothing like ‘trading for Yeojun’…?”
- “Like exchanging with someone who won Yeojun…”
- “But (the other members) are too popular so trades don’t happen…”
- “It’s not like I’m popular”
- “If not you, who would even like me?”
- “LOL”
- “It’s more like, ‘Oh, it’s Jang Yeojun? I’ll just give it a try’—that kind of vibe.”
- “You can learn stage performance through practice… so why can’t you learn how to have a good face? That’s a shame.”
- “LOL”
On the post, other instances in which the idol seemed to talk about the other members’ popularity, along with another conversation about him being an adult, were also shared.
Many netizens responded to the post with concern, rather than criticism, hoping that his self-confidence will grow as he ages with support from his company.
- I don’t know about calling it a ‘trash mindset’ or anything, but his mental strength does seem a bit weak… Fans probably think they’re being supportive and on his side, but he’ll gradually find his balance. I mean, he’s only 22.
- Also, isn’t that post title a bit too harsh…? Reading something like that would just mess with his mental state even moreㅠ I saw his face for the first time this time and was actually surprised because he’s handsome. He’s honestly good-looking enough, so I hope he gains some confidence… And even though Bubble might feel like a private space, things can easily get screenshotted and spread like this, so it’s important to be a bit more careful about what you say to avoid controversy… He probably realized that through this situation.
- I also saw somewhere that he’s been on survival shows three times since middle school, so that probably had an impact too, which is kind of sad. On those shows, you’re constantly compared to others and have to compare yourself, you get a lot of hate comments about your appearance, and since it’s a competition, you have to fight for your spot and screen time by constantly appealing yourself… I feel like that mindset may have really stuck with him. But now he’s debuted and he’s part of a team. Comparing yourself to others never ends, so I hope he can let go of that and focus more on his own growth, regardless of where others are. It would be good if he could get counseling and take time to reflect. He’s only 22—so maybe it’s actually better that this happens early in his career. I hope he listens to the advice of the adults around him and improves. The more I think about it, the more I feel bad for him. He really needs to move on from that survival-show mindset. And trying to fill your self-esteem through others—whether it’s fans, members, or friends—just ends up exhausting the people around you and doesn’t truly build self-esteem anyway…
- Also, can’t the company provide some kind of mental care? He’s still really young, so getting counseling and proper support would probably help.
