Recently, Hearts2Hearts Jiwoo became the center of online debate after her swimsuit photos went viral on Twitter and later spread to Korean forums like Pann.
The post criticized her for “showing too much skin,” with some Korean netizens questioning why she was wearing such an outfit and why she decided to post those pictures.
Some users criticized SM Entertainment, claiming the company was once again “exposing young idols to older audiences,” comparing it to what they allegedly did with aespa’s Karina at her debut.
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Many Korean netizens defended Jiwoo, pointing out that she’s now twenty years old and free to wear what she wants and that the outfit wasn’t even revealing.
Comments:
1. Who said she can’t?
2. Where’s the skin showing?
3. I don’t like girl groups showing skin, but what do you expect her to wear at the beach? ㅋㅋㅋ It’s way better to wear this than rashguards
4. What is provocative about it? She’s covering everything??
5. I think she had good intentions posting this
6. There’s not a single skin showing
7. I think the “Crazy” was positive though
8. I think it was positive?
9. She’s pretty
10. What the? I’m more shocked at how pretty she is??
Overall, the debate highlights once again the ongoing clash between conservative and more open-minded views in K-pop fandoms, especially when it comes to how female idols choose to express themselves.
