5 K-pop Idols’ Controversies That Almost Ruined Their Career

Being a K-Pop idol isn't always sunshine and rainbows, especially when your life, both public and private, is out in the open. As idols gain a certain amount of fame, there are times when they become embroiled in controversies and become the subject of netizens' ire. While there are several idols who weren't able to get back in the industry after their reputation took a dive, there are also those were able to save their careers after having it nearly ruined.

With that, here are five K-Pop idols' controversies that almost ruined their career.

1. TWICE Tzuyu

Back in November 2015, just a month after TWICE made their debut, Tzuyu, along with fellow members Mina, Sana, and Momo, appeared on the MBC show "My Little Television." During her appearance, Tzuyu introduced herself as Taiwanese and waved the flag of Taiwan, alongside South Korea's flag.

While her action was innocent in the majority's eyes, it drew out anger from mainland Chinese due to China's political issues with Taiwan. Tzuyu's action's led to TWICE being barred from appearing on Chinese media, with the idol also being removed from her endorsement deal with Huawei.

After the intense backlash from Chinese netizens, Tzuyu was forced to issue a public apology through a video, in which she stated that there is "only one China" and that she is "proud to be Chinese." However, her apology also caused anger among Taiwanese nationals, as a survey found her apology affected the votes of 1.34 million people during the 2016 Taiwanese general election.

As a result to the controversy, JYP Entertainment announced the implementation of cultural sensitivity training for the label's artists and staff, which would include lectures on issues such as political conflicts between countries.

2. Jay Park

In September 2009, over a year after making his debut with 2PM, Jay Park was found to have made unfavorable comments towards Korea from his Myspace account in 2005. Initially written in English to a friend, Korean media outlets translated the comments, which quickly spread in the country.

He later released an apology, stating his unhappiness during his trainee days in an unfamiliar country, where he didn't have his family, had difficulty in communicating, and his lack of understanding on the culture. Although there were demands for his removal from 2PM, JYP Entertainment initially stated that he will continue being a member of the group.

However, Jay Park later announced his withdrawal from the group and that he would be returning to his hometown in Seattle. Despite him leaving, 2PM didn't remove his vocals from songs in which he promoted with the group with, and the members even paid a homage to the former idol.

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3. ITZY Lia

In February 2021, Lia became embroiled in a school bullying controversy after a user on an online community forum claimed that they were bullied by an idol who is know for her straight shoulder lines and was born in 2000. The user also claimed that the idol had verbally abused her after it was discovered that she was dating one of her close friends.

According to the user, despite having broken up with her significant other, the idol, who she had attended school with, continued to harass her. Her post also included a photo of her Gokban Middle School yearbook, which led many to believe that the idol in question was Lia.

Soon, JYP Entertainment announced their plans of taking legal action against the user for false information and defamation, while also stating that the post was false and malicious.

However, the user was acquitted of her charges due to lack of evidence, and JYP Entertainment announced their appeal for a re-investigation. To this day, the matter has yet to be resolved.

4. Wonho

In 2019, Wonho's former friend and roommate Jung Da Eun had accused the idol not paying his debts and using illegal substances (marijuana) during his trainee days in 2013.

The infamous Han Seo Hee, who was Jung Da Eun's girlfriend at the time, also accused the idol of being a former delinquent during their school days and that he was even sent to a juvenile center.

Several other claims were made against Wonho, such as him driving without a license. Wonho later announced his withdrawal from MONSTA X in a lengthy letter, with his case being investigated by the police.

After five months of investigation, all charges against Wonho were dropped, and he was cleared from his alleged drug usage in 2020.

5. Red Velvet Irene

In October 2020, Irene came under heavy backlash after a fashion editor revealed in a now-deleted Instagram post that the Red Velvet member had mistreated and lashed out on them during a photoshoot. Irene later took to her social media to apologize for her behavior and admit her wrongdoings. SM Entertainment also issued an official apology.

Her controversy led to widespread conversation regarding the abusive actions and attitude by people in positions of higher power or seniority. Awareness regarding female artists, who are held to a higher standard as compared to male artists in terms of controversies, also came to light.

In light of her attitude controversy, numerous other staff members who had worked with Irene defended the idol, stating that they have never experienced such an attitude from her while working together. They also shared instances where Irene showed her appreciation for staff by giving gifts and handwritten cards.

The fashion editor also spoke up following the issue, and stated that there was no monetary settlement from the idol, and that they only exchanged sincere apologies when they met again.

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Written by Robyn Joan