TXT had just made their comeback with the album The Star Chapter: Together, marking an important milestone in their career. To promote the release, TXT arranged various activities, including global video call fan meetings to connect with fans.

However, during one such session with Soobin, an individual deliberately played a fabricated explicit audio clip involving fellow member Yeonjun, leaving Soobin visibly distressed. The person then uploaded the recorded video online with the caption: “POV: When I directly asked Soobin about the mysterious audio clip at the fansign.” They even went as far as asking Soobin which type of “relationship” with Yeonjun he preferred, putting him in an extremely uncomfortable position.

The moment Soobin fell silent, staring into the screen for nearly 20 seconds in shock, quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter). His expression of confusion and helplessness drew sympathy and anger from the community.

Fans immediately condemned the incident, labeling it not as a prank but as blatant harassment that could cause emotional harm. Posts denouncing the act flooded social media:

  • “What are these shippers thinking? Why would you show Soobin such a clip at a fansign and ask sexual questions? What did you expect him to say? There has to be a sense of respect and dignity.”
  • “We demand BIGHIT take strong measures and permanently ban people who do this.”
  • “This is truly disgusting. MOAs, keep emailing BIGHIT until this person is banned forever.”

The controversy has reignited debate around the dangers of excessive “shipping” in K-pop fandoms. While pairing idols is often considered harmless entertainment, crossing the line into forcing idols to confront sexualized or fabricated content violates their dignity and well-being.

The video in question has since been deleted, but the MOA fandom continues to call on BIGHIT to impose a permanent ban on the fan responsible to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Sources: K14