Rookie girl group KiiiKiii, managed by Starship Entertainment, has found itself in unexpected controversy after a recent promotional post for their single “DANCING ALONE” allegedly referenced a viral quote associated with another idol group’s emotional moment.
The debate began when a post titled “STARSHIP’S ROOKIE KIIIKIII POKING FUN OF MEMES FROM OTHER GROUPS TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES” went viral on Korean forum theqoo. The post claimed that KiiiKiii’s use of the phrase “Jeoldae NO” (meaning “Definitely not”) was a direct reference to a moment involving ALLDAY PROJECT’s Annie, who emotionally recalled in an interview:
“I told my mom, ‘Actually mom, I really want to become a singer,’ and she said, ‘Does that even make sense? Jeoldae NO.’”
The original caption posted by Starship read:
“Are you feeling lonely dancing alone? Jeoldae NO KiiiKiii’s ‘DANCING ALONE’ won’t make you lonely.”
Critics claimed the phrase felt too similar to Annie’s quote, accusing KiiiKiii of exploiting a personal anecdote for promotional gain. However, most users on theqoo quickly pushed back, saying the backlash was exaggerated:
- Honestly, using a meme from another idol for promotion, not for anything else, is just not it. lol
- I was confused so I replayed it several times. That’s supposed to be mocking? Do you even know what mocking is?
- Isn’t that “angddakjeong” thing also a mocking meme? But people use that one just fine.
- Using a phrase from another idol within the same industry for your own promo slogan just feels wrong. Even if it were something like “Lucky Vicky” being used to promote a group other than IVE, it would still feel off.
- Huh? Foreign or overseas-raised idols do this kind of thing all the time. Is that all considered mockery too?
- The issue isn’t the original video. It’s that the phrase turned into a mocking meme because people used it to ridicule and make fun of someone. And even though the original line wasn’t wrong, using it as a mocking meme is the real problem. It’s honestly weird that I even have to explain this lol. Plus, it wasn’t even a widely recognized meme — using something so obscure makes it even worse.
In response to the criticism, the promotional post was updated to remove the phrase “Jeoldae NO”. The revised caption now simply reads: “Are you feeling lonely dancing alone? KiiiKiii’s ‘DANCING ALONE’ won’t make you lonely.”
Some netizens downplayed the controversy entirely, with one user commenting, “I don’t even see it on Twitter being talked about,” suggesting the backlash might be limited or localized to forum discussions.
As of now, Starship Entertainment and KiiiKiii have not issued an official response. While the phrase may have sparked debate, the quick edit and mixed public response reveal just how divided netizens are over the boundaries of meme usage in K-pop promotions — especially when rookie groups are under intense scrutiny from debut.
Sources: theqoo