The criticism got worse when the idol later posted a picture.

Netizens are angry because a reporter said things about 2PM's Taecyeon at a recent press meeting that were seen as rude.

In the new Korean drama Heartbeat, Taecyeon plays Seon Woo Hyul, a character who is half human and half vampire.

During the press meeting, one reporter got some bad press after making a comment that netizens thought was racist.

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"Vampires are usually pale and fragile, but you've gotten paler, so I was wondering if you had something else in mind to show a different kind of vampire." — Reporter from Korea

Having "pale" skin is considered attractive in Korea, but having "tanned" skin didn't make the comments worse for commenters. It wasn't a surprise that the comments about the hero made fans angry.

Netizens were also angry about colorism after Taecyeon shared a picture of a vampire on Instagram with "darker skin."

"My heart is racing, the first week is over," said the post's title. Even though the post as a whole showed many more photos from shooting and promoting the movie, fans didn't like that the first picture was of the vampire after the comments.

International netizens are aware of the ongoing problem of colorism in K-Pop and Korea in general. Fans are upset, even though they are trying to raise awareness.

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NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]