The NCT DREAM member Jisung’s statements on groupmate Haechan’s honey skin hue enraged the K-pop audience. Jisung hung out with Chenle at a restaurant in a behind-the-scenes video during the KPOP.FLEX performance in Germany. During lunch, the latter said that a certain dish “makes you paler.” Jisung then inquired if Haechan would “become pale” if he devoured the cuisine.
While Chenle gave a quick nay, Jisung’s statements angered viewers who thought he was making colorist remarks. They mentioned the lack of cultural knowledge in the K-pop business, as well as the clear presence of racism, which has a detrimental influence on worldwide fans.
“You should know when to stop,” say netizens in response to NCT DREAM’s Jisung’s reported casual colorist comments.
NCT DREAM’s behind-the-scenes vlog was published in Germany on June 8 by SM Entertainment. The trio was among those that played at KPOP.FLEX, is billed as Europe’s largest K-pop performance. The ten-minute film was part of the bonus material that fans enjoyed since it revealed what happened behind the scenes during the show.
tw / colorism, fat shaming.
will u ever learn jisung? few months ago you were fatshaming him now you’re being a colorist. you were called out and educated by some through sending a bubble but here u are again with another remark. you should know when to stop and draw the line. https://t.co/3QMNcYtcb3
— annika 🪁 (@jenowinkle) June 8, 2022
Fans pointed out one particularly rude incident in the video. Chenle said while eating a meal that it makes people’s complexion pallid. He also said that he had a pale complexion since he ate that specific meal often as a youngster. Jisung joked that he should get eight of them just in case. While things may have stopped there, he continued by asking Chenle whether Haechan would “become pale” if he ate that meal as well.
Netizens assumed the remark was made in poor taste and made fun of Haechan’s tanned skin hue. They confronted Jisung about his alleged racist statements. Haechan is one of the few NCT DREAM members with tanned skin, which has made him a popular target for jokes. Furthermore, netizens dug out past recordings when Jisung fat-shamed fellow NCT DREAM member Haechan and advised him to eat less.
Some Netizens Support Jisung
Meanwhile, a number of supporters backed Jisung. They indicated that it is not just him who has cracked jokes, but that the whole gang participates in such chats on occasion. They thought that the responses to the statement were exaggerated because, first, they did not know the members’ connection and, second, the group members often teased one other.
The video’s exposure reminded the diverse K-pop audience of prior conflicts in which POC (People of Color) fans felt degraded and belittled by their stars. ASTRO’s Sanha, aespa’s NingNing, ENHYPEN’s Heesung, TXT’s Soobin, and others have recently been chastised for making racist remarks and using racial slurs. Given the worldwide popularity of K-pop groups, fans feel the groups, agents, and staff should educate themselves on such issues in order to avoid repeating or publicizing similar blunders on public platforms.
