Fromis_9's Chaeyoung Caught With A Vape, Fans Come To Her Defense

With the pure and squeaky-clean image that so many K-Pop idols are trained to have in the eye of the general public, it can come as a surprise to learn that any of them partake in drugs or smoking, no matter how benign. A number of idols have drawn attention for being spotted with cigarettes or vapes in the past, and whenever this happens, there always seems to be a split opinion on how serious an issue it is.

NCT’s Johnny recently spotted with a vape | *@nctsmtown/Twitter*

Recently, fromis_9 member Chaeyoung posted a photo to her Instagram story showing her doing some cute doodling. However, an object spotted in the back of the photo caught netizens’ attention, to the point where it has become a topic of conversation online.

There is what appears to be a white or light blue vape in the upper left corner of the photo.

The photo in question of Chaeyoung’s alleged vape | *@chaengrang_/Instagram*

A forum post about the subject shared this image of a certain brand of vapes, which look similar to the one seen in Chaeyoung’s photo.

While it is admittedly less common for female K-Pop idols to be spotted with smoking devices, it was just recently that fellow fromis_9 member Jisun was also spotted with what netizens believe to be vapes in the background during a livestream.

While it’s inarguable that smoking can have negative impacts on one’s health, the overall reaction to Chaeyoung’s alleged vape from fans actually seems to be coming to her defense.

People are arguing that she’s an adult and can make her own decisions, and that her choosing to smoke shouldn’t concern fans. Some are even saying that if they were in a stressful environment like the K-Pop industry, they would probably take up smoking too. And still others express outrage and disgust that male idols seem to be able to get away with a lot more without repercussions while female idols are held to much higher standards.