On Monday, Mar. 29, Red Velvet Yeri greeted her group leader Irene on her birthday through her Instagram Stories. The Story has since received divided opinions from people.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Red Velvet's Yeri Greets Irene on Her Birthday Through Instagram Stories
On Mar. 29, Red Velvet member Yeri shared a photo booth-style photo of her and Irene to celebrate the latter's birthday.
Along with the picture includes the caption, "Joohyun (translators note: Joohyun is Irene's real name) unnie, happy birthday! Let us laugh more and more. I love you. Enjoy your special day!"
Since then, her post has been shared in an online community forum. The post has since been debated over, with some people liking how Yeri greeted Irene, while others slammed her for doing so.
Negative Response to Red Velvet Yeri's Instagram Story Greeting Irene on Her Birthday
The post that featured Red Velvet Yeri's Instagram Story greeting Irene on her birthday on the online community forum has more thumbs downs (dislikes) than thumbs-ups (likes). As of press time, the post has 472 dislikes and only 183 likes.
But why are people so against the post? It is because of Irene's past "gapjil" controversy.
On Oct. 21, 2020, a fashion editor shared a lengthy post to her Instagram, claiming she was verbally abused by a female idol. Though she did not reveal who it was, she added the hashtags #psycho and #monster to her post, which led people to assume it was either Seulgi or Irene of Red Velvet, as they both worked on the said songs.
RELATED: Editor Exposes Celebrity's True Personality + K-Netz Post Speculations
Irene soon released an apology, admitting the accusations were true. She apologized to the people she worked with who she hurt and expressed shame over her past words and actions. She promised that this would not happen again.
Her company, SM Entertainment, also issued a public apology.
RELATED: Red Velvet Irene Apologises For Her Rude Behavior Towards Editor Kang Kook Hwa
She stayed out of the limelight for the rest of the year, only returning to activities to perform with Red Velvet in SMTOWN Live's "Culture Humanity" on Jan. 1, 2021.
Later that month, Irene shared a letter through the Lysn Bubble application, where she apologized once more for her actions and expressed regret for causing worry and pain to her fans.
RELATED: Red Velvet Irene Writes to Fans for the First Time Since Attitude Controversy
Despite apologizing twice, many are still not ready to accept Irene. Others have stated that her image has been ruined following the scandal and that her members sharing posts with Irene could further tarnish Red Velvet's reputation. People are saying that Yeri could have greeted Irene privately and not in public for everyone to see.
The Positive Response Red Velvet Yeri's Instagram Story Greeting Irene on Her Birthday
Though the backlash was immense, many stood up to defend Yeri. On the post, most of the top comments are defending Yeri and Irene, despite the overall like-to-dislike ratio on the post. Many stated that Yeri is not involved in Irene's "gapjil" scandal; therefore, she should be able to share a post concerning Irene that is not about the controversy. Others said that though Irene was wrapped up in a controversy, she was still the group's leader and acted as a real older sister to Yeri.
Others stated that it would be weirder if Yeri were to ignore Irene's birthday, as they have actively promoted with each other for years and are known to be close. Some applauded Yeri's actions, as the idol was probably aware of the backlash she would receive but chose to greet her leader regardless.
Which side do you agree with?
Birthday parties are the most entertaining aspect of most people's lives, from childhood to old age. For a brief moment, celebrating or making plans for someone's birthday makes them feel unique. At Template.net they design birthday templates that include all sorts of cards, invitations, vouchers, calendars, etc. related to birthday topics.
For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.
KpopStarz owns this article.
Written by Alexa Lewis
