Red Velvet Yeri Sparks Controversy With Her Comments On Meeting Kim Jong Un

Red Velvet shared their thoughts after performing “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy” at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, North Korea.

Irene said in the interview that the audience gave them enthusiastic reactions.

“(The North Korean audience) gave us really enthusiastic reactions. At the end of the song, they sang along with us and even continued to clap after we left the stage. It made me feel a little strange.” ㅡ Irene

However, Yeri’s comment in the interview was what angered some netizens. She described their meeting with Kim Jong Un using the word “honor”.

“I didn’t know we would be shaking hands, but it was truly an honor. But we believe it was an even greater honor to have been able to meet so many people from North Korea and we hope that there will be more opportunities like this in the future.” ㅡ Yeri

Netizens have been criticizing Yeri for commenting that it was an honor to shake Kim Jong Un’s hand.

“She shouldn’t have used the word honor. She could’ve said she was surprised or it was interesting.”
“Using the word ‘honor’ to a man who slaughtered our officers and soldiers is wrong”
“Is Kim Jong Un just a ‘celeb’ to the younger generation girls?”
“The unni reads Kim Ji Young and the dongsaeng says it’s an honor to Kim Jong Un. ‘Feminist=leftist=pro-North’ It’s a formula.”
“Does she not think of being more careful of what she says and how she behaves at places like that?”
“SM needs to educate their entertainers better on history.”

Meanwhile, some fans have been trying to defend her comment.

“What else was she supposed to say while she was in North Korea among North Koreans? That it was terrible?”
“She’s just an entertainer, not an important figure. They probably told her to do the interview with a positive attitude”
“They’re in North Korea people…don’t forget that”
“I can’t praise her for what she said but let’s not criticize her too much”
“It’s a little uncomfortable, but understandable”

Watch the full interview below: