SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi has recently found himself in the middle of controversy after fans noticed his activity on Instagram — specifically, liking a reel that some believe subtly shades BTS.
The reel in question features SEVENTEEN’s powerful 2019 MAMA performance of “HIT,” accompanied by a caption that reads:
“Never forget SEVENTEEN’s performance of ‘HIT’ at 2019 MAMA — right after they lost the ‘Best Dance Performance’ award.”
This video quickly caught fire on X where many interpreted the post as suggesting SEVENTEEN was robbed of the award — which went to BTS that year.
The situation intensified when some SEVENTEEN fans echoed the sentiment, saying things like:
“No one deserved it more than SEVENTEEN.”
Many fans took Hoshi’s like as silent agreement with the idea that SEVENTEEN was more deserving of the award, and some CARATs even expressed happiness that Hoshi appeared to acknowledge it publicly.
However, the reaction from BTS fans — — was swift and critical. Some accused Hoshi of being bitter or disrespectful, especially given how respected both groups are in the K-pop industry.
Many BTS fans called out Hoshi for being “bitter” and “jealous,” with tweets going viral, stating:
However, some SEVENTEEN’s fans have defended Hoshi, pointing out that English is not his first language.
They argue that he might have simply appreciated the performance video without reading or understanding the caption.
As of now, Hoshi and SEVENTEEN’s agency PLEDIS Entertainment have not issued an official response regarding the incident.
While it may have been an innocent social media interaction, it has reopened debates on how idols’ online behavior can fuel fan wars — intentionally or not.
