ILLIT’s Wonhee Accused Of “Saying” The N-Word In Viral Video, Sparking Discussion On Xenophobia

Many have called the “joke” anti-black and xenophobic.
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Koreaboo

There are some cultural differences between K-Pop and the cultures from which the genre borrows, sometimes resulting in unintended racism or cultural appropriation.

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TO1’s Chan | TO1/YouTube

Over the years, the words naega and niga have sparked misunderstanding among those who do not listen to K-Pop or speak Korean. Each of the words sounds similar to the reclaimed version of the racial slur “n*gger,” used now by Black people with an a instead of the -er.

However, as there have been some instances where the two words’ similar sounds have been used to mimic the word without actually saying it, idols singing it as it should be used occasionally goes viral.

This recently happened with ILLIT‘s Wonhee.

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ILLIT’s Wonhee | MBC

In a behind-the-scenes clip, Wonhee is vocally warming up as stylists fix her hair. She begins singing the chorus of “Magnetic” before switching to her verse, repeating naega multiple times before finishing her line. (18:33 in the below video)

The video clip was reposted on X with a caption mentioning other idols accused of using the N-word, spreading the false information before a note was added sharing the correct information.

However, the damage was done, as the video was reposted on TikTok as a “joke” but quickly racked up over 3.1 million views. It was also reposted without any context on a “meme” account, spreading even further.

@aniployia

💀💀 #fyp #funny #kpop #relatable #kaicenat #speed #dukedennis #foryoupage #viral

♬ original sound – Aniployia

Many have felt that even posting it as a joke was not appropriate, as it could lead to hate against Wonhee, among other things.

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