Antis are accusing her of being a “sly fox” after I.O.I did a prank on Nayoung on a show.
On December 3rd, the I.O.I members were guests on the show called Knowing Brothers. As their days as a group together is starting to come to an end, the members decided that they wanted to let Nayoung know what a great leader she has been. However, instead of just telling her directly, they decided to do a hidden camera prank that Sejeong planned. The prank consisted of some of the I.O.I members “expressing their disappointments” with their leader, with some members trying to defend Nayoung.
Some netizens started to point fingers at Sejeong and claimed that she selfishly took one of the “nice roles” for the prank when she was the one who schemed the plan. Some also thought that the prank on Nayoung was too mean and that it should have been a more light-hearted kind of prank.
Fans defended Sejeong by saying that Nayoung would have caught on that it was a prank if Sejeong took the mean role. All the members know that Sejeong has a good kind-hearted image and having her be mean to Nayoung in front of cameras would totally be unusual. Although some fans agreed that the prank could have been a bit more light-hearted, they pointed out that having “cruel” hidden camera pranks are a tradition in many variety shows. Many other K-pop idols have made members cry before with hidden camera pranks, but no one ever had hard feelings after it ended. Fans also believe that Sejeong is a truly good person and didn’t have any bad intentions when planning the prank, as she was one of the first ones to cry after the prank ended.
Here are some reasons why Sejeong is a genuinely kind-hearted person!
1. During Produce 101, she helped Sohye when she was struggling.
With patience and encouragement, Sejeong kindly coached Sohye on her singing and dancing. She takes the time out of her own time to practice to help Sohye with her pronunciation and pitch. Sejeong would always be the one to approach Sohye first and even helps Sohye relieve some pressure by cracking jokes. Throughout the show, Sohye had expressed much appreciation for Sejeong, showing how that Sejeong’s kind image wasn’t just something created by the editing of the show.
2. Her high school peers revealed what Sejeong was like pre-debut.
Back during Produce 101, Sejeong already had antis that accused her of faking her good image. However, the people who went to high school with her put those accusations to rest by praising her personality and talent. In an online community forum, many alumni commented on how she was very friendly, had a really good voice, and passionately worked hard towards her dream.
[ARTICLE] #Sejeong's high school friends compliment her personality in her old photo #갓세정 #PRODUCE101 #프로듀스101 pic.twitter.com/QWAWQ2n1Ss
— 김세정 ㅡ KIM SE JEONG (@_sejeongdays) March 14, 2016
3. Produce 101 staff did a hidden camera prank on her, and she showed her true colors.
The prank was that one of the PDs of the show would accidentally break an expensive camera in front of the trainee, and another staff member would ask who broke it. When the PD broke the camera in front of Sejeong, she quickly went down on her knees and comforted the PD that broke it with a calm voice. When another staff came in and asked who did it, Sejeong willingly took the blame even though she knew how much the camera cost. She handled the situation maturely and said that she would take responsibility for “her” actions no matter how it would affect her.
4. She is hardworking in everything that she does.
Many may think that Sejeong was born with her talent and is naturally great at everything, but she struggled as well. When learning the “Pick Me” dance, Sejeong found it hard to keep up with the other girls and felt that she was lacking in many ways. With all the doubts she had in her mind, she ended up bursting into tears.
Before Produce 101, she was also on Kpop Star Season 2. Although she got eliminated, she didn’t give up. Sejeong continued t0 w0rk hard and got into her current company, Jellyfish Entertainment. With hard work, she succeeded in Produce 101, became a part of I.O.I, became a member of Gugudan, and even got a win for her solo song. She’s currently also working hard in variety shows like Talents for Sale.
5. She smiles a lot to give others strength.
While busking for a show, Sejeong explains about her past and her smiling image. She tells the audience about how she grew up in a household that wasn’t very well off. Sejeong described how her single mother had to raise her and her brother while in debt. Seeing how much her mother had to go through, Sejeong hid her emotions deep into her heart and started smiling to stay strong during tough times. As she grew older, she realized how hard it was for her to express herself and only knew how to smile. Friends who loved to gossip or share secrets left Sejeong’s side, because she was unable to express herself at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaUgUipqWHA
6. Family is everything to her.
She has mentioned her appreciation and love to her mother and her brother many times. Whenever Sejeong achieved something and was given the opportunity to speak, she always remembered to thank her her family for all their support and promised them that she will provide a better life for them. Even her solo song, “Flower Path,” is about her regretting not showing enough appreciation for her mother in the past and promising to have her mother to only experience nothing but good things in life. Recently, Sejeong also canceled all her activities after the sudden death of her grandfather. Since her family wasn’t well off in the past, she had spent time living with her grandparents and became very close with them. Seeing how Sejeong still prioritized what’s truly most important to her despite having debuted, shows how big her heart is.
Read this heartfelt letter that she wrote to her mother three years ago.
[TRANS] #Sejeong wrote a letter to her mom #김세정 #프로듀스101 #PRODUCE101 pic.twitter.com/EP4APgvizn
— 김세정 ㅡ KIM SE JEONG (@_sejeongdays) March 11, 2016
7. Last but not least, her love for I.O.I.
Whenever Sejeong is with her I.O.I members, she is always full of happiness. She is often seen laughing with her members and playing around with them. You could tell by the way she hugs and speaks to the members that she treats them like they’re her sisters.
It’s known that I.O.I will forever be an important part in Sejeong’s life as she was seen crying again and again during their last fansign together.
https://youtu.be/q1r2owahrJw?list=LLOyC18FActI-fQ7fP5RhrTQ
No matter what people say, we hope that Sejeong can continue walking on the flower path that she worked so hard for with her head held high.
