K-pop idols Bae Jin-young and (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon are at the center of online debate after the teaser for their new YouTube travel series “TripKODE” drew sharp criticism, with many likening it to the controversial reality show We Got Married .
The show, set to premiere on YouTube channel KODE 코드 , features two celebrities traveling together while completing heart-racing missions designed to raise their pulse rates. The teaser, which included cozy scenes like grabbing prizes from claw machines and sharing an umbrella, was captioned with flirtatious lines such as “This is more thrilling than I thought” and “My heart is pounding.” These romantic overtones quickly sparked heated reactions from fans.
Many viewers criticized the content as a thinly veiled idol dating show, calling it “idol WGM” — a reference to the past Korean reality show that paired celebrities in fake marriages. The backlash was swift, leading producers to make the teaser private within 24 hours of release.
On October 16, KODE released an official statement:
“After serious internal discussions, we’ve decided to temporarily postpone the release of ‘TripKODE’. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was waiting for the content.”
Both idols responded to the controversy. During a recent album interview, Bae Jin-young explained,
“I was really caught off guard by the ‘WGM’ comparisons. The teaser focused on the ‘heart rate’ concept, which is more of a fun challenge, not romance.”
Miyeon also reassured fans through her platform, saying,
“There’s really nothing for you to worry about. I saw many were startled, so I came quickly to clear things up. I’m sorry for the concern.”
While “TripKODE” is on hold for now, the situation underscores the ongoing sensitivity around idol privacy and fan expectations when it comes to dating content — especially when romantic implications are involved, intentional or not.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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