Idol private life controversies erupt, but agencies turn a blind eye “Fans are anxious”

Fans are expressing dissatisfaction with the agencies’ consistent stance of ignoring and covering up baseless rumors rather than verifying facts and providing explanations where reasonable doubts arise.

According to the music industry on March 13th, RIIZE’s popular member Anton has been embroiled in rumors regarding dating and degrading Korea. Controversy arose when a photo taken in New Jersey surfaced, showing a person presumed to be Anton holding hands with a woman, sparking rumors of a romantic relationship. The woman directly clarified, “Anton and I have been friends since we were young. I am not and have not ever dated him.” However, fans’ criticism of holding hands with a friend persists, and suspicions of more than a friendship have escalated with the revelation that Anton’s past Instagram account was tagged in comments on the woman’s past SNS photos.

The rumors surrounding Anton have even extended to a private Instagram account. The name of the private account at the center of the controversy is “ilovesamgsungsomuch”. This phrase is known to be a derogatory term about Korea, following the trend of attaching “i love so much” to targets of mockery and criticism in the United States. The identity of the owner of this private account remains unclear.

While verification of all controversies has not yet been achieved, public opinion on Anton, especially on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and various online communities, is negative. Some members of the public express reactions such as “If you realize that everything on the internet is recorded and remains, it would be better” and “Is he a foreigner? Degrading Koreans is too much.” Fans are appealing for the agency to be more proactive in providing explanations or legal responses.

Stray Kids’ Hyunjin has also been caught up in baseless rumors. Actually, it is difficult to establish controversy. This is because Han Seo-hee, the person involved in the disclosure incident, herself stated that it was not true. The problem lies in the fact that the agency has remained unresponsive to this incident as well.

SM Entertainment, the agency representing Anton’s group RIIZE, did not provide any official statement. JYP Entertainment also did not release any official statement. When the rumors spread, Stray Kids’ fans parked a truck in front of the agency’s building with a sign saying “Protect your celebrity. JYP, protect Hwang Hyunjin“, but JYP’s representative responded, “We are not making any special response to the rumors. There is no official stance.“

While the agencies’ strategic decisions may be sound, the lack of consideration for fan sentiment in their response is the issue. For fans who suffer heartache over rumors about their favorite celebrities, a clear response strategy would be better. This is especially true in Anton’s case, where a small gap can lead to a breach. This shows that merely letting things pass is not always the best response.