Fact Check: Did NCT’s Haechan Make “Fatphobic” Comments About His Members’ Bodies?
Recently, NCT‘s Haechan came under fire from fans after allegedly commenting negatively about his fellow members’ weight.
A clip from an NCT DREAM live broadcast has gained attention after netizens believed Haechan made comments about Jen and Jaemin’s weight and shape.
Hc : jeno pay attention to your body
*Jn ignores him*
Hc : Jaemin you too, get in shape
Jm : why me? i don't reveal my body
Hc : no but you have to get in shape as wellwhen this man will stop being fatphobic? he should stop commenting on the members bodies🙃 pic.twitter.com/hPlsnE9bOn
— :3 (@cvntjen) July 10, 2023
When the video was posted online, thousands of netizens shared their anger towards the idol and his comments. In particular, after previous instances of Haechan being accused of making “fatphobic” comments toward his members, fans wanted to make sure he was educated on the hurt his words could cause.
educate him all u want, tell him all of the things he did wrong, correct him in any way you could BUT DON’T U EVER JOIN THE BANDWAGON TO HATE ON HIM AND TELL HIM INAPPROPRIATE THINGS. U DON’T HAVE A FREE PASS FOR THAT https://t.co/bN7hITFMeH
— lele 🥑 (@daegalosaurus) July 11, 2023
the part that got me baffled was moving to another member after not getting the reaction u wanted like… too damn grown to be acting like this and finding sumn like this funny https://t.co/aPfH2Qho7C
— َ (@chirinhae) July 11, 2023
for the love of god, jeno being silent is enough signal for haechan to drop the topic.. https://t.co/gkMDloMoea
— 🌼 (@uaenadreamzen) July 11, 2023
ppl saying “you’re own your own this time” as if this is even the first or second time this type of comment has been made by hc? maybe you just excused him for those times, you didn’t know, didn’t care because to yall he always had to be the victim to you and can’t do no wrong. https://t.co/jmjMcRbooC
— 帝努 💫 (@kingjenolee_) July 11, 2023
Haechan’s true intentions might have, however, been lost in translation. While speaking about Jaemin, Haechan seemingly mentioned his member’s body. His words can be translated as “get in shape,” but what he said, and the way he said it, is actually more along the lines of, “You need to take care of your body.” He said this twice before adding, “Jaemin, take care of your body.”
The video’s unclear audio also makes it difficult to hear and interpret the members’ words. There were often times when members were speaking at the same time.
Although international netizens have criticized Haechan’s words, the phrase “You need to get in shape” or “Take care of your body” is commonly used in Korea without malice and can mean someone is worried about you for health reasons.
The video gained a lot of attention as many brought up previous times Haechan has been called out for comments about his members’ weight.
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