On Sunday, January 21, after NewJeans' Minji left to attend Paris Fashion Week, several news articles reported the same thing, including photos of the idol looking stunning, as ever, at the airport. One of the reporters was iMBC News, one of the major media broadcasting companies in Korea, and fans were not happy with the article written about the idol.
Recently, the idol was embroiled in a controversy over Kalguksu, where she was heavily criticized for not knowing what the popular Korean noodle dish is. However, in a recent apology letter, the idol explained that she is a picky eater, and her statement meant that she was trying to think about what the dish would taste like since she had never eaten it before.
While the controversy then settled, an IMBC News headline by NewJeans' Minji about her departure for Paris Fashion Week came under fire for allegedly mocking the idol over the controversy. The first syllables of three words they used to describe how the idols looked at the airport are written as guksu, and since many felt the sentence structure seemed forced, fans were angry about journalist Go Dae Hyun's unnecessary jab at the same time.
However, iMBC News soon issued an apology statement addressing the same.
“We apologize to the artists and related companies who were affected by this.”
iMBC News has come under fire for allegedly mocking NewJeans' Minji in its latest article.
The title of iMBC News' latest article angered fans. NewJeans' Minji, serving as a Chanel ambassador, was seen leaving for Paris Fashion Week to attend Chanel's couture show on January 21.
iMBC News also reported an article on the same topic, they used the headline,
“NewJeans Minji, Sharp Beauty, Global, Elegance.”
While the translated version seems uncomplicated, it was the Korean words and the prefixed syllables of the three words used to describe Minji that caused controversy. It is spelled sharp Cal-gak, is spelled global Jock-jejeok, elegance written they-Rioham. The first syllables of these three words, which are rarely seen together, are spelled kalguksu, and fans couldn't help but notice the shade the journalist cast on the idol.
In addition, another article regarding Minji's departure was also seen making puns on the Kalguksu controversy. The article that stated that the idol was preparing her boarding flight in time for her international flight immediately caught fans' attention due to its strange wording. The first syllables of the sentence are written again as goksu, Cal-jati (sharp on time) Jock-Ji Seon Cheol Guk (international boarding) they-Hang (treatment).
Fans were naturally angry at the media and netizens' frequent reiteration of the Kalguksu controversy, especially since Minji expressed her dissatisfaction with the constant criticism she received for the same reason. As fans continued to criticize iMBC News for the disrespectful title of their article, the news agency quickly issued an apology statement. Here is what was stated in the statement:
“This is a notice. iMBC knows very well the importance of artists' IP addresses. Recently, the title of one of our photo articles related to NewJeans became the subject of controversy, and we immediately deleted it. However, we apologize to the relevant artists and companies who were affected by this matter. iMBC that we will do our best to manage our content so that such things do not happen again in the future.
This controversy began in 2022. NewJeans' Minji, during a live broadcast with her fellow members and streamer ChimChakMan, was criticized for asking herself what kalguksu was. Since it is a popular and well-known Korean dish, Minji was criticized for not knowing what Kalguksu is, and netizens even described her as a rich and posh child from abroad.
In a recent live broadcast on January 2, the idol addressed the issue in an almost passive-aggressive manner, saying that she clearly knows what Kalguksu is and leveling harsh criticism at netizens. However, when criticism increased when people pointed out her alleged bad attitude, she issued an apology letter, carefully explaining the situation and apologizing for criticizing her on the live broadcast.
Translation of the video above:
“Everyone, do you think I don't know what Kalguksu is? So, what is the meaning of Kalguksu, like… Don't I know everyone? Think about it twice. That's right. I didn't know, that's why I said I don't know.” Do you all know how many types of Existing calgoxo and the components that go into it?
On the other hand, fans continued to defend the idol over the controversy, saying that she is allowed to be a picky eater and does not need to apologize for not trying a certain dish.
While fans still felt that they should have been more careful about their article and their representation of idols, they were happy to learn that the posts had been deleted and were appreciative of the apology message.
