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Blackpink's Fashion Dominance, Seunghan's Departure from RIIZE, Suga's DUI Incident, and more

2024 was a whirlwind for K-pop as many scandals jolted the sector. The K-pop fan favourites broke several records while creating lots of controversies.

Let’s explore the ten key moments that made the headlines in K-pop, capturing fan’s and critics’ attention.

1. BLACKPINK's Fashion Dominance

The girl gave hits like ‘Whistle’ and ‘Boombayah’ in colourful charming streetwear on their K-pop launch, starting a fashion trend among teenagers.

Blackpink’s first Coachella appearance saw the group performing in blacks, silver, and whites, a far cry from the colourful outfits of the launch. The girls’ over the years have worked on cultivating their individual styles on and off the screen.

In their last 2023 Coachella appearance, the group donned Mugler-designed pink looks. This started the fashion trend of soft colours, and feminine fabrics in the K-pop industry and among their fans worldwide.
2. Suho and Hyolyn at the K-Wave Festival

On October 18, 2024, for the first time, Suho and Hyolyn from EXO came to India to debut at the K-Wave festival. This delighted Indian fans and marked a significant milestone for K-pop's global reach, especially in South Asia.

2. RIIZE Member Seunghan Quits

Wizard Production, on October 13, 2024, shocked fans with the official statement that Seunghan will not be continuing in the group anymore. This news came just two days after the 21-year-old rejoined the band after a long hiatus. The band is best known for its first album ‘Get A Guitar’, which sold a million copies in the first week of its release. It was the second most first-week sales of a rookie group's debut album. Thus, the news of the band’s key member, Seunghan’s departure confused and worried the fans about its future.

RIIZE on X: "안녕하세요, 위저드 프로덕션입니다. https://t.co/cquJ5WyjDT" / X

3. Controversy Over Stray Kids Collaboration

Controversy over Stray Kids' collaboration with Charlie Puth's ‘Lose My Breath’ arose with many fans boycotting the collab. The growing accusations against Puth being a Zionist, rape apologist, etc. were the main reasons for such a divide among fans. Puth’s sister’s post stating ‘I stand with Israel’ during the ongoing Israel-Palestine war, prompted these accusations.

✰ ౨ৎ bella boo 👻 on X: "Stays pls boycott and 🏴‍☠️ the song! Charlie Puth is a z! one! https://t.co/gRPfMgNRbv" / X

4. IVE's "HEYA" Controversy

IVE was blamed for their song "HEYA", which was accused of cultural appropriation. It was alleged that the song plagiarized elements from the Chinese culture. This caused a lot of critics to cry for cultural awareness in K-pop.

5. Cignature's "POONGDONG" Music Video

Cignature's new music video "POONGDONG" was criticized for sexualizing the group. Fans and critics pointed out that despite the song being about celebrating summer, the girls were portrayed in extremely revealing outfits with inappropriate choreography. The K-pop industry was further accused of reducing the musical talent of the group to focus on sexualization.

6. ILLIT's Plagiarism Accusation

ILLIT faced plagiarism issues over the concept of their debut song "Super Real Me." Fans spotted that the white turtleneck and black skirt styling was very similar to November 2022 photos from the shopping mall plzproject.

7.  NCT's Taeil Under Probe for Sex Crime

Taeil was a former member of the K-pop group NCT. Taeil was indicted on aggravated “quasi-rape” charges for allegedly sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman with two non-celebrity acquaintances. The media house, SM Entertainment terminated its contract with ex-NCT member Taeil after the news came to light. Shockwaves and question marks spread over accountability and actions in the industry as a result.

8. Controversy Over a DUI Charge on BTS's Suga

The most popular K-Pop band worldwide, ‘BTS’ came under fire following Suga’s(one of the oldest members of the group) involvement in a DUI incident. Suga was fined for driving an electric scooter while intoxicated, although, nobody got hurt. Army (followers of BTS) are worried about his health and the damage that the incident might have on his career. This led to bigger discussions among the K-pop community on the tremendous pressures that K-pop idols face to portray a perfect image.

9. Min Hee HYBE Termination over Power Struggles

In April, HYBE terminated Min Hee Jin as ADOR CEO. The company found evidence that she was trying to leave HYBE and take ADOR with her to become a separate unit. Min Hee was replaced by Ju Young Kim, an HR expert. The former CEO is expected to take on a creative role at ADOR claiming her termination was unjust.

Conclusion

It's been a lively and eventful year for K-pop, from significant feats and controversies of fashion domination to serious legal issues. The above-mentioned moments describe the multifaceted and diversified complexity of K-pop. The fans and critics wait for further development within the unfolding drama of their favourite idols as well as K-pop entertainment.