4 biggest “twists” of Korea’s entertainment industry in 2021 (ft. aespa, Kim Seon Ho, and more)
Here are 4 times in 2021 Korean netizens show their opinions can be fickle.
Rollin’ went viral after 4 years, saving Brave Girls’ career
In early 2021, K-Pop saw the spectacular comeback of Brave Girls with Rollin’. The song was released in 2017 but it was not until February 2021 that Rollin’ started climbing up and topping digital charts in Korea for nearly half a year.
The catchy chorus and memorable point choreography of Rollin’ made the song one of the smash hits of summer 2021. Amid the time Brave Girls discussed disbandment, Rollin’ took over the charts, bringing Brave Girls to the top of brand reputation rankings in Korea after nearly 10 years of being unpopular.
aespa’s Next Level: From being labeled a “mess” to an addictive hit
Like Rollin’, aespa‘s Next Level also had an amazing comeback on the charts, getting high ranks thanks to the addictive chorus and becoming an iconic “Summer Hit” of 2021.
Next Level is a remake of the soundtrack of the same name from the movie Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw. The structure of aespa’s version is changed quite a lot compared to the original song. The lyrics are also modified significantly to match aespa’s futuristic concept and describe the group’s journey to KWANGYA. However, these changes once drew controversy for making the song sound disjointed. The background music was criticized for being overly noisy by inserting too much percussion. Next Level was called a “mess” when it was first released.
But over a month later, Next Level showed its impact as it continued to stay on the top of various charts. The line “I’m on the next level” was so viral that it became a concern of university students in Korea. Next Level was listed as a song that should not be played before the college entrance exam. aespa‘s hand dance move in the chorus also became a trend and is covered by numerous K-Pop idols.
Kim Seon Ho and the “plot twist” amid the scandal
Widely known to the public through his supporting role in “Start-Up“, then breaking through with the role of “Hong Ban-jang” in “Hometown Cha Cha Cha“, Kim Seon Ho is loved by the audience thanks to his good acting ability, lovely appearance, and a gentle personality.
But as soon as the last episode of Hometown Cha Cha Cha ended, which was also when his career was at its peak, Kim Seon Ho‘s ex-girlfriend suddenly accused the actor of forcing her to have an abortion. In the midst of a wave of controversy, the actor sent a letter of apology to the public without explaining anything. At that time, netizens simultaneously criticized the actor; Brands also in turn hide all advertising images of Kim Seon Ho.
Even so, friends and colleagues still support and share their stories to defend Kim Seon Ho. Dispatch also released hundreds of text messages, interviews with friends of Kim Seon Ho and his ex-girlfriend, confirming that the actor did not force his girlfriend to have an abortion. Dispatch also revealed that the actor also proposed to marry his ex-girlfriend and take care of her after the surgery.
After that, netizens started siding with Kim Seon Ho. They believed that the actor not only possesses good acting ability but also has a tolerant and kind personality. No brand asked Seon Ho to compensate for contract losses, more than 40,000 viewers signed autographs to protest Kim Seon Ho‘s departure from 2 Days 1 Night.
It was thought that he would lose everything, but in the end, Kim Seon Ho gained more love from the public after the first scandal in his career.
Kwon Mina: From being pitiful to getting criticized
The controversy regarding the bullying scandal between AOA and former member Kwon Mina seemed to have ended in July when Jimin decided to leave the group. However, from that time to September 2021, Mina kept mentioning Shin Jimin in her Instagram posts, claiming that it was the former leader who caused her to suffer from mental illness.
In June 2021, after publicizing her boyfriend named Yoo, Mina was immediately accused by a girl of being a “side-chick”. This accuser confirmed that Mina was the one who intentionally destroyed this person’s love story with Yoo. Mina then posted an apology and stated that she did not know that this person and Yoo had not broken up. However, netizens did not believe her. Some pointed out that when Mina published her boyfriend, Yoo‘s Instagram still had a photo taken with the other girl and the description under his account name still had the name of his ex-girlfriend. In addition, Mina repeatedly said that she would release evidence that Jimin bullied her in the past, but in fact, Mina could not any credible evidence.
In September 2021, Dispatch also released a recording of the conversation between Mina and AOA at the time the scandal broke out. The entire conversation between them shows that the bullying that Mina mentioned was mostly misunderstandings and partly broke out due to the sensitive psychology of the female idol.
In the scandal of AOA, not only Jimin but also other members were criticized. However, after all, the public gradually turned to defend the group, Seolhyun is being supported to return to activities. On the other hand, netizens were fed up with Mina‘s stories, however, Mina was not heavily criticized but was advised to focus on psychological treatment so as not to take actions to harm herself and others.
Currently, Mina no longer mentions Jimin in her posts and enjoys her private life.
