Recently, the K-pop fan community has been buzzing over RIIZE fans sending funeral wreaths and protesting, demanding member Seunghan leave the group. The controversy stems from SM Entertainment’s decision to bring Seunghan back after a 10-month suspension.
RIIZE, which debuted in September 2023 with seven members, quickly rose to fame and gained a large fanbase across Asia. However, just 2 months after their debut, Seunghan was forced to suspend activities due to the leak of sensitive photos. For the past year, RIIZE has been promoting as a six-member group. Most fans in South Korea, Japan, and China—SM Entertainment’s three main markets—supported the six-member lineup and opposed Seunghan’s return.
SM’s decision to allow Seunghan to return sparked strong backlash from RIIZE’s domestic fans. As a form of protest, fans sent 1,000 wreaths demanding Seunghan’s removal from the group. In response to the uproar, SM announced Seunghan’s departure.
This incident has become “legendary” in the K-pop fan community as it marks a rare occasion where a major entertainment company had to listen to fan demands. “Funeral flower protest” has become a trending term in Korea. While the method is effective, it raises numerous concerns.
Many argue that RIIZE fans were too extreme. Although Seunghan made a mistake, the act of sending funeral flowers and mentally terrorizing him was inhumane. In fact, former DAY6 member Jae also called out this action, even comparing the action of sending funeral flowers to artists to “attempted murder”.
However, another artist has become the victim of this cruel protest on the morning of October 20, when series of funeral wreaths were sent to HYBE’s headquarters with messages demanding Suga leave BTS. The messages on the wreaths condemned Suga and criticized HYBE, even labeling the BTS rapper a criminal.
This is a reference to August this year, when Suga was prosecuted for drunk driving, with a blood alcohol level of 0.227— the highest level among K-pop idols. As a result, Suga faced public backlash and was edited out of broadcasts by TV networks.
Recently, the case concluded with Suga being fined. Although the incident seemed to have settled down, it resurfaced with the protest on the morning of October 20.
On social media platforms, netizens have reacted with mixed opinions. Some agree that there needs to be stricter consequences for idols like Suga, who violated the law. However, the majority of BTS fans oppose the use of funeral flowers to demand his removal from the group.
Now, in front of HYBE, many BTS fans sent trucks and hung banners in support of Suga. It seems that the fandom’s reaction to Suga’s scandal remains contradicting.
Source: K14
