HYBE Idol’s “Rude Gesture” Towards SM Entertainment Star At “Golden Disc Awards” Triggers Heavy Backlash
The 40th Golden Disc Awards delivered what fans expected: strong performances, big stars, and major wins. However, alongside the celebrations, several controversial moments quickly took over attention and sparked heated debate.
One of the most talked-about incidents involved NCT WISH’s Riku and CORTIS member James.
During the ceremony, Riku performed a short and candid dance cover of EXO’s “The Eve.” Many viewers praised his skills and dance moves. However, attention soon shifted away from Riku’s performance and toward James, who was seated behind him during the moment.
RIKU????? RIKUUUU????? WHAT THE HELLY STOP GEUMAN pic.twitter.com/zYkAFPCJWB
— 치 🫧 (@rikujjang) January 10, 2026
Fans noticed James making repeated and “exaggerated” facial expressions while Riku was dancing. Clips of the moment spread quickly, with many international netizens interpreting the reactions as over the top, rude, and disrespectful.
how many times does this boy group have to cross the line before y’all stop defending them…the physical disrespect is crazy atp https://t.co/trPE6hfzrC pic.twitter.com/k03vXMFBXC
— ۟ (@cookycoded) January 10, 2026
James is that guy in teen movies who stands behind the bully making stupid cartoonish faces and petty expressions, thinking he’s funny https://t.co/yf9bdVrLys
— ♡ (@wuvyaxian) January 10, 2026
Rather than being seen as playful or harmless, the expressions were widely criticized for taking attention away from Riku’s stage and showing a lack of respect during a live broadcast.
that boy in the back is the definition of a pick me… but kpoppies just love to hate women so they'll call innocent ones like wonyoung, yuna, etc. a pick me but this boy quirky and funny 💀 https://t.co/D47btTYJjW
— ryu (@ryumazes) January 11, 2026
Is it just a common occurrence for Cortis to be blatantly fucking rude? He’s making nasty ass facial expressions when all riku is doing is dancing https://t.co/fKRsWhqhvl
— Alex¹⁺⁴ (@whitesleuthing) January 10, 2026
The backlash intensified because this was not an isolated incident. CORTIS and James, in particular, have been criticized in the past for their on-camera reactions to other idols.
In December, James faced heavy criticism at the MAMA Awards due to his reaction toward BABYMONSTER’s Ahyeon, which fans also viewed as inappropriate.
HYBE Idol’s Reaction To BABYMONSTER Ahyeon’s “Controversial” Live Vocals Sparks Heated Debate
Earlier in September, Keonho was flamed online after his reaction to aespa winning at Music Bank.
CORTIS Keonho’s Reaction To aespa’s Award Win Sparks Scathing Reactions
Because of this pattern, many fans argued that the Golden Disc Awards moment was part of an ongoing issue rather than a misunderstanding.
