Donghae's Instagram Stories garnered criticism and ignited a forum discussion, where netizens chewed over the idol's "unexpected" behavior.
Here's what happened.
Super Junior D&E's 'JiJiBe' Controversy Fueled Further by Donghae's 'Problematic' Instagram Story
On March 25, netizens gathered in an online thread, titled, "The Male Idol Fighting With His Fans."
The author recalled the newest controversial title of Super Junior D&E's newest single "GiJiBe."
According to Korean netizens, "Gijibe," the Korean title of "GGB," has a derogatory history in its context, since the word seemingly connotes "bratty girl" or "b**ch."
The title has since generated outrage across online communities including platform X (Twitter), where netizens expressed their frustration towards the "distasteful" title choice.
Since the backlash reached a boiling point, the matter eventually caught the attention of ODE Entertainment. The agency released an official statement and apologized for the issue.
The author recounted:
"It's related to the song title that D&E released (t/n: covered here, Jijibe is kind of derogatory towards women, similar to b**ch/bratty pest)
They were removed from Korean music shows and the company released a feedback."
(Photo : TheQoo)
"Hello. This is ODE Entertainment.
Firstly, we would like to thank the fans who have been loving and supporting Super Junior D&E. We acknowledged the issues surrounding the upcoming album's title song 'GGB' and held thorough meetings with the artists.
'GGB' is a song that reflects the feelings of missing an ex-girlfriend in a more comfortable setting with cute lyrics. We had no intention to use the term negatively.
However, we apologize that we didn't consider that there would be varying opinions about the term's usage, given the change of time, and that there could be people who might feel uncomfortable.
We discussed many ways, but there are restrictions because the project is already almost complete. We have decided to cancel upcoming music show appearances after hearing different opinions internally. But we are still going to release all the prepared content.
We ask for your understanding and apologize to the fans who were anticipating this comeback. Once again, we are thankful for your continued support. Thank you."
OP then turned to Donghae's posts on his official social media accounts, specifically his Instagram Stories, which laid emphasis on the controversial title.
"But right after that, this is what the member released on his SNS."
