SM Entertainment’s boy group, which was aiming to spearhead a new generation in the K-pop industry, faces severe backlash and criticism. As soon as the curtain of mystery from the members rose, various rumors and allegations about their past surfaced online. Among the seven-member lineup consisting of Shotaro, Eunseok, Anton, Wonbin, Sungchan, Seunghan, and Sohee, the latter two RIIZE members face malicious dating rumors. Here’s everything you need to know.
What are the allegations against Sohee?
RIIZE‘s member Sohee was the first to get tangled in the rumors as his alleged pre-debut pictures from sketchy places surfaced online. On August 1, a post titled ‘Past Photos Of SM Rookie That Is Turning Off A Lot Of People’ went viral on Korean social media.
https://twitter.com/K_BUZZ_Official/status/1686235155801743360?t=q0Vi4YefCOkhZqg4kXp7zA&s=19
- It soon reached international fans, creating ripples of backlash. The post claimed that Sohee went to a ‘hunting bar’ (hunting pocha) in Korea. For the unversed, the ‘hunting bars’ are places where people can find partners for one-night stands or series of hookups.
- The author also shared more particulars regarding the pictures to support the claims. He shared that the image is from Glam, a hunting bar in Joongang-dong. Another netizen shared a photo from the exact location with a seemingly similar background in a now-deleted tweet.
More photos of alleged RIIZE member Sohee at the hunting barhttps://t.co/JSHatotdtt pic.twitter.com/Oi1Kmj6Vsp
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) August 1, 2023
- Following this, many keen-eyed netizens noticed the tattoo on the ankle of Sohee’s friend that looks similar to tattoos of Irezumi style. This particular pattern of tattoos is notorious for symbolizing various gangs.
- Another pre-debut image of him taken in front of an elementary school also surfaced online. The image is allegedly from the Instagram of the rookie singer with the caption including inappropriate language.
Past dating allegations against Seunghan
Before the debut of the promising group and amid the past controversies, another rumor reignited the fire of backlash against them. On August 27, alleged photos of Seunghan’s inappropriate behavior surfaced on platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
https://twitter.com/BBOSONGEEEEE/status/1695822405586108419?t=MyjL9Kfxbfx0Z07VXxNQcA&s=19
- The anonymous post maker claimed that the girl featured in the images was a past lover of Seunghan. They also claimed she was underage (17) when dating the 19-year-old idol.
- Additionally, a claim went viral that one of the images where the couple appears on a bed is from a hotel room. Considering the claims that the debuting idol’s alleged lover was minor at the time garnered him severe criticism.
Are the rumors surrounding the RIIZE members true?
Out of the many claims surfacing online almost every day now, two significant allegations mentioned above are clouding the debut of RIIZE. There are many similarities in these allegations, as an anonymous person/s created posts exposing the alleged past. Both of the allegations are also regarding their dating history.
- While there are certain doubts regarding the images, there’s a greater doubt about the claims. There isn’t any way of confirming if those claims are factual without hearing the members’ side. However, SM Entertainment has yet to release a statement confirming or refuting the allegations.
Netizens’ reactions
The netizens are expressing shock about the rumors of RIIZE members as the fans defend the artists. To understand the depth of the criticism, it is necessary to remember that Korea is still a relatively conservative society. While dating is not frowned upon, the allegations of hookup and underage intercourse are taken very seriously.
Why people so mad about seunghan have a girlfriend? Idol are human to, just respect his privacy.
— neo thingz (@tirtrilili) August 28, 2023
can y’all leave riize alone and stop believing these rumors?? feel threatened by undebuted group already? https://t.co/ouw6BJ3a8f
— 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 (@antonleekr) August 28, 2023
what is this curse with riize, all the rumors are popping up just before their debut date
— pat (@patscart_) August 28, 2023
- Due to this, many netizens are concerned about the group’s future in light of the recent controversies. Meanwhile, RIIZE is preparing for its debut in September 2023. The group recently released a pre-debut single, Memories, that soon topped the iTunes chart. They have also collaborated with Kakao to release a web novel, Rise & Realize.
RIIZE will debut on September 4 with their album Get A Guitar. Fans are especially looking forward to seeing Sungchan and Shotaro on stage again. Both the members formerly debuted under SM Entertainment with the boy group NCT before joining the lineup of RIIZE.
What are your opinions regarding the alleged controversial past of Sohee and Seunghan and the backlash surrounding RIIZE? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel Anime, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Until next time!
