K-netizens Complain As NewJeans, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids Became Back Dancers At Japanese New Year’s Eve Show

NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, also known as NHK’s Red & White Year-End Song Festival is one of the most prestigious new year shows in Japan where only top singers and idols get to participate.

This year, top KPOP idols such as NewJeans, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids were also invited to perform at this event. However, Korean netizens seem to have different options regarding their participation. Especially, in the ending performance of the show, these top KPOP idols became back dancers for the Japanese duo YOASOBI.

On the evening of December 31, a post was made on the popular Korean forum Nate Pann with the title “Red & White Year-End Song Festival is currently controversial,” complaining about this performance. This post criticized the Japanese show for making Daesang-winning KPOP singers the back dancers, dancing and clapping for the “unknown” Japanese artists.

After almost a day, the post has gathered approximately 220,000 views. In the comment section, Korean netizens showed mixed reactions.

Some of the top comments are as follows,

• “Who told them to go there? They deserve it for leaving the domestic shows at the end of the year.”
• “I don’t think there would be anyone defending the show if Korean singers became back dancers for Chinese singers singing a Tiktok song in a Chinese show. It’s funny that people are defending the show because it’s in Japan.”
• “I’ve never made a fuss about their humiliation, but I think there are people who want to”
• “Today is the day of MBC’s Gayo Daejeon. What are the they doing over there? Korean singers? Why are you acting cute in other countries? I liked NewJeans. I’m disappointed. Other idols are also doing the same.”
• “Except for the last scene, the camera hardly filmed YOASOBI and only kept filming KPOP idols. If you watched the full stage, you wouldn’t think they were back dancers.”
• “Some people are confused because the Japanese market and the Japanese year-end music shows are different from Korean ones; KPOP is more about popularity while the Japanese people try to draw a big picture.”

Source: Nate Pann