K-Pop idols often face a lot of scrutiny and unwarranted criticism online, as most fans would know. In response to this being deemed an industry norm, fans are making a recent post on Twitter (now known as X) — where an idol claps back at the haters — go viral with thousands of likes and retweets.
Garnering over 96,400 likes and 21,000 retweets, the tweet contained screenshots of a TikTok video where IVE‘s Wonyoung supposedly said, “I don’t care about those who comment negative things about me online. They will ask me for [an] autograph if they meet me in real life anyway.”
LMAOO get them wonyoung pic.twitter.com/8iQfBwZgHP
— ruben (FAN ACCOUNT) (@FWGRANDEE) March 3, 2024
The now-iconic quote quickly became a fan favorite, seen as a cool response to online haters and criticism. But did Wonyoung really say it? Turns out, no.
Wonyoung — though she has indeed faced many negative comments in her time — was not behind this viral quote.
As the tweet spread, knowledgeable fans pointed out that the quote actually originated from KARA‘s Gyuri, a star from the second generation of K-Pop.
Gyuri dropped this line on a KBS variety show years ago — and the clip has been circulating again, thanks to fans keen on setting the record straight and giving credit where it’s due. Even back then, the quote was much loved by fans from all corners of K-Pop.
That’s KARA Gyuri’s iconic line 😤😤
but Both of them were right. pic.twitter.com/LyWR64hcll— 🌶️ SPICY (@kingnuest) March 4, 2024
The mistake eventually sparked a conversation about recognizing and respecting the contributions of all idols, regardless of their generation. Gyuri’s supporters, in particular, have called for proper acknowledgment of her original remark, emphasizing the importance of accuracy in attributing quotes.
stan IVE & KARA 🥰🎀pic.twitter.com/aPGaehnOXg
— ruben (FAN ACCOUNT) (@FWGRANDEE) March 4, 2024
Regardless of it being a mix-up, the tweet fitting Wonyoung perfectly points towards the common challenges many idols — especially female stars like Gyuri and Wonyoung — who have to navigate the issues that come with fame face.
Thus — even though the quote was misattributed this time — the sentiment it expresses about facing criticism with confidence resonates with fans throughout all generations of K-Pop, which is most likely why it went viral.
