K-pop fan's verbal abuse of ITZY's Yuna sparks debate on fan entitlement

Yuna, the youngest member of ITZY, has frequently been a subject of both positive and negative attention among fans. A recent incident during a fan interaction event at the KCON music festival 2023 has brought attention to the issue, as a fan directed an offensive term at Yuna, causing the incident to go viral online.

The etiquettes expected from fans within the K-pop industry have been a matter of continuous discussion.

Numerous netizens stress the significance of showing respectful behavior towards K-pop idols and emphasize the need to maintain a boundary between fans and idols.

About ITZY

ITZY is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment, comprising members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna.

•  They marked their debut on February 12, 2019, with their single album "It'z Different."
• The group has achieved several accolades, including Rookie of the Year at the 34th Golden Disc Awards, New Artist of the Year at the 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards and the 2019 Melon Music Awards, as well as Best New Female Artist at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards.

• Additionally, they secured the New Artist Award at the 29th Seoul Music Awards, remarkably becoming the first K-pop girl group to achieve this noteworthy "Rookie Grand Slam."

The Incident

The KCON music festival, an annual event organized by CJ E&M and established by Koreaboo, takes place in various global locations.

This year's festival was hosted in Los Angeles from August 18-20, featuring an impressive lineup of performances, with ITZY being among them.

Due to the exclusivity of the event, videos from the festival were shared online after its conclusion.ng Q&A sessions and chats, which are considered exclusive.

• On August 20, during ITZY's performance at KCON music festival 2023, the group had a dedicated stage for fan interactions.
• However, videos surfaced showing Yuna taking her time to respond to a question, leading to some attendees becoming impatient. In response, one fan resorted to using disrespectful language, urging Yuna to "hurry up b*tch."

  i’ve had enough. calling Yuna ‘that’ word and hurrying her up won’t make you look cool and is NOT funny. This is just so madly disrespectful .. whoever said that, i hope you sleep with your one eye open. Yeji’s reaction when she heard it says everything.. pic.twitter.com/aBiW7UIAMr

  — ًea 🖤 (@thclwa) August 21, 2023

• Another video captured ITZY's leader, Yeji, responding to the offensive comment. Yeji turned her head in the direction of the remark, her expression turning serious.

• Fans lauded Yeji for swiftly defending Yuna and empathized with her response. Many believed that such disrespectful comments were unwarranted, especially within the supportive environment that fans are expected to foster.

• The original video understandably angered fans, prompting many to voice their opinions about the fan's sense of entitlement. The motive behind addressing Yuna in such a disrespectful manner remained puzzling.

This incident has reignited discussions about proper conduct within the K-pop fandom, emphasizing the significance of treating idols with respect and kindness.