Third Generation Idol Criticizes Her Juniors’ New Greeting Culture

OH MY GIRL member Seunghee has expressed her displeasure with the changing style of greeting between junior and senior idols during music show encounters.

Seunghee appeared as a guest on MBC’s Radio Star recently and talked about her experiences in the industry as someone who debuted a decade ago. Talking about appearing on music shows, the singer said she often feels nostalgic about her earlier days.

The idol admitted that she often sounds like a “Boomer” during music broadcast shoots because she misses the way juniors interacted with senior idols back in her days. According to Seunghee, newer idols these days keep their greetings short, compared to the older times when juniors would go around the waiting rooms of senior idols to greet them.

There used to be a culture of going around the waiting rooms to say hello, but that’s gone nowadays. Even if they (the juniors) see someone in the hallway, they just say hello with their eyes.

— Seunghee

The idol added that this new greeting culture makes her wonder what kind of juniors these newer idols would be. MC Ok Joo Hyun agreed with the OH MY GIRL member and added that she felt uncomfortable with new generation idols because of their uptightness.

Seunghee’s revelation has brought in some heated reactions from netizens.

• “I, too, disliked the tradition of going around waiting rooms to greet seniors and wished that it would disappear. But greeting just with their eyes is really rude.”
• “Even elementary school students get called out if they do an ‘eye-greeting’ with a sixth grader. It’s really a bit too much.”

• “Those who think that greeting with just your eyes is enough, go relearn some etiquette at home. Don’t tarnish your parents’ reputation.”
• “Yes, not having to go to the waiting room is a good change. But only greeting with your eyes when you meet people in the hallway…I’m young too but I never do that. It’s not just an age or generation problem. The people who only greet with their eyes are weird.”
• “It’s surprising how divided opinions are over not saying hello, LOL. Greetings are just basic.”
• “Greeting someone when they pass by is just basic…isn’t it? TT You could just say ‘hello’ and move on, right?”