UNIS maknae Lim Seowon drew divided opinions for THIS reason.
What did she do?
Fans Raise Brows for Having Minors in UNIS Such as Seowon Despite Debut Track 'Superwoman'
On April 20, the rookie idol became a sizzling topic on X. One netizen expressed they were perplexed after knowing that Seowon is only 12 years old, the youngest of the girl group UNIS.
This then garnered attention from K-pop fans, where divided opinions poured in regarding age over skills in the music scene.
OP was baffled by the group members' ages, having Hyeonju as the oldest (22 years old) and Seowon as the youngest at 13 years old.
This became a big deal to fans, given that the concept of the group based on their title track is "Superwoman." Netizens pointed out that neither of them was even old enough to be called a "woman."
In fact, only Hyeonju is above 18 years old while the rest were all minors. What surprised people was Seowon being in the group, who just also finished her elementary school in March.
As of the writing, the post has over 555k views and over 500 quotes, containing people's divided opinions about this.
In the replies, numerous people agreed with the OP's concern, stating that Lim Seowon is "too young" to debut in the harsh stage of the K-pop industry.
There are also commenters who called out adults supporting such a group with minors, then questioned the idol's parents & label for debuting her at this age.
UNIS Fans Defend Seowon, Highlight Her Balanced Life as Idol, Teenager, Student
When the post reached UNIS fandom, the group's supporters defended Lim Seowon from the backlash and rather highlighted the hard work that she exerted just to be in her position.
Fans pointed out that K-pop isn't for adults only and to be enjoyed by kids as well, then complaining that if people were concerned about the harsh treatment of idols, then maybe the system is the problem, not the debut age.
After all, Lim Seowon wasn't forced to debut, but rather, she has been dreaming of it for a long time.
Prior to becoming an idol, Seowon initially pursued her singing career as a trot singer and later on as a soloist. She's a senior to a lot of rookie fifth-gen idols and in the period, she's been loved and cared for by a lot of her supporters.
As a result, fans are pleading not to use her age against her but rather, K-pop fans themselves should create an industry that is safe and healthy even for kids.
READ MORE: THIS 12-Year-Old Trainee Is Poised to Become the Youngest K-pop Idol to Debut in 2024
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz