TXT Yeonjun's Suggestive Solo Choreography Hit With Massive Backlash From Korean Netizens

TXT‘s Yeonjun has been making headlines since the announcement of his solo debut in September 2024. After BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed he would release a mixtape later in the month, fans were treated to a pre-release track titled “Ggum,” which dropped on September 19.

The song quickly topped iTunes in 32 regions and performed well on Japan’s Oricon and Line Music charts. It even hit number one on Spotify in seven regions and dominated YouTube’s trending videos in over 30 countries.

While the song’s release has garnered excitement among fans, reactions from Korean netizens to Yeonjun’s choreography — especially for his accompanying TikTok challenge — have been less positive. A specific dance move in which Yeonjun thrusts his hips to the rhythm has sparked controversy, with many finding the gesture awkward and unnecessary, particularly when paired with fellow idols in TikTok collaborations.

@txt.bighitent The GGUM Killa #TXT #SOOBIN #YEONJUN #YEONJUN_Mixtape_GGUM #YEONJUN_GGUM #GGUM ♬ GGUM – YEONJUN

The criticism started gaining traction when a post on the popular Korean online community theqoo went viral. It gathered over 57,000 views and prompted more than a thousand comments, many of which expressed discomfort with the suggestive dance. Some viewers found the choreography distasteful, arguing that it didn’t add anything to the performance. Others felt the move was overly exaggerated and distracting, especially during televised performances.

“I don’t think the first one was that bad, but the second one [with the suggestive move] was a bit awkward.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“I wish male idols would stop doing that suggestive dance. I really don’t like it.”
“Ughhh.”
“It seems pretty common. But the dance itself doesn’t look attractive or sexy at all.”
“I was watching Music Bank the other day without thinking, and when I saw the second dance, I was seriously shocked.”
“It’s just whatever… I think people are overreacting.”
“The second one is really too much… It keeps drawing attention.”
“I don’t like it. Makes me uncomfortable.”

This sentiment spread to another community site, Pann, where a similar post criticizing the choreography garnered over 79,000 views. Despite a few defending Yeonjun’s performance and praising his dancing skills — whose comments had more dislikes than likes — the majority of comments leaned negative.

“It makes sense that people don’t like it.”
“I feel bad for idols who have to do that challenge.”
“I didn’t think much of the challenge when it first came out. But the one on Music Bank and the one posted yesterday… I was honestly shocked. Especially with Yeonjun and Soobin’s challenge… They were just way too forward.”
“Yeonjun’s dancing is top-tier for male idols. He dances so well and brings the choreography to life. The choreography is perfectly fine. Why do people only focus on that aspect? It’s not like we’re in the Joseon era. Stop being so old-fashioned.”
“To think of what some of you are thinking of seeing this choreography… Get your minds out of the gutter.”
“Since Yeonjun dances so well, it didn’t look weird to me at all?”

Source: TheQoo and Pann