NCT's Yuta has recently come under fire after he revealed in a live stream that he was close friends with controversial anti-Korea YouTube, Rhee-Kun.
In the aforementioned live stream, he said, "These day, I'm close to - I'm not sure if you know him - a YouTuber called Rhee-Kun. We've been very close lately. We even met up yesterday."
나카모토 유타 리쿤 언급 pic.twitter.com/FzHzT7ztnh — 왜뭐왜 (@pJylhY8IhCVa5gz) July 26, 2020
Fans and Korean netizens immediately slammed Yuta for being friends with Rhee-Kun. The YouTuber is known for his anti-Korean sentiment and his misogynistic tendencies, which he showcases to his numerous social media platforms. Taking one look at his social media pages prove it.
He previously posted a photo of him 2019 attending a protest. The sign he's seen carrying reads, "Moon Jae In has ruined the economy Park Geun Hye saved." Moon Jae In is currently South Korea's president. He is essentially insuting the President for "ruining" South Korea.
On YouTube, he shared a video about "how to have sex with a pretty Korean girl who has had a lot of plastic surgery done". It is apparent from his content that he is not shy about his controversial thoughts. The thumbnail for the video was also shared on Instagram.
Additionally, he has mentioned the names of idol who has past in his video, including Sulli and Jonghyun, for clickbait. This was shocking for fans, as Sulli and Jonghyun were both labelmates with Yuta. Many wonder how he could be friends with someone who has disrespected his seniors in such a way.
On top of that, many of his content is highly offensive in Korea, as he has strongly stressed his anti-Korea, pro-Japan stance. Additionally, though unconfirmed, some reports have stated that Rhee-Kun is an alleged sex offender as well.
The live stream that mentioned Yuta being friends with Rhee-Kun has since been deleted, but netizens quickly grabbed it and shared it on numerous social media platforms and online forums. Because of the nature of Rhee-Kun's content, this has become a massive issue for the Korean community, especially due to the tension, conflict, and history between Japan and Korea. Many were unhappy with how an anti-Korean YouTube is friendly with a Japanese member of a Korean idol group, and how that said member had no problem announcing their friendship to a Korean audience.
Prior to the backlash, Yuta was following Rhee-Kun on Instagram.
He has since unfollowed him.
Fans are angered at the situation and are demanding an apology from Yuta, as well as an official statement from the company. Some extreme Korean fans have even called for Yuta's withdrawal from NCT.
What do you think of the situation?
Yuta debuted with NCT 127 in 2016 as the group's lead dancer, sub-vocalist, and sub-rapper, and is NCT's only Japanese member. Born and raised in Osaka, he has been given nicknames such as "Guardian of Takoyaki," "Osaka Prince," "Takoyaki Prince," and "Yakisoba Prince" by fans and from his members. Before debuting with NCT, he was a cast member of the JTBC show "Abnormal Summit" as the Japanese representative.
NCT 127's debut was a commercial success upon debut and bagged the group numerous award nominations. The group achieved breakthrough success with "Cherry Bomb" and is considered the group's signature song and identity. Following this, the group started promoting "Regular" internationally and ventured into the Japanese market with "Chain." The group is signed to Capitol Music Group and Caroline Distribution for worldwide marketing and distribution, respectively. Their album, "Neo Zone," hit the top five on the US Billboard 200 chart.
