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Fan service or flirting? The Boyz’s Sunwoo in hot water after cracking 'indecent joke'

International K-pop fans are calling out the hypocrisy of Knetizens who blame Sunwoo for flirting despite their support for the idol-fan service culture

The Boyz’s Sunwoo has landed himself in some hot water for his latest interaction with a fan. During a fansign with a Japanese fan, the K-pop idol allegedly flirted with her which Knetizens are claiming was inappropriate. The fan had asked Sunwoo, “Why do you think I’m wearing PJs today? Can you guess?” The Boyz rapper responded, “Yes. You and I…” to which the fan immediately said that’s not it and both laughed. She continued to ask if he meant “Sleep together? No, no!” 

Knetizens claimed that The Boyz’s Sunwoo was sexually harassing the fan while others claimed they couldn’t fathom why he would make a supposedly indecent joke in the first place. However, international fans are calling out the hypocrisy of Knetizens. While no one knows how it began, the idol-fan service culture in K-pop is quite an odd but established phenomenon in Asia, wherein idols and their fans 'pretend' to be in a relationship. This is why K-pop idols are so reluctant to disclose if they are dating someone for real because it affects their marketability and album sales.

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Fans defend Sunwoo

While Sunwoo didn’t actually say the words and it was the fan who assumed that he meant to say something sexual, there are other K-pop idols who have outrightly flirted with fans upon their request. K-pop agencies make their artists put out ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’ concept photos, cheesy and flirty messages, and enact fan service gestures like hand-holding or the infamous pushing-a-fan-against-the-wall move. 

However, when an idol doesn’t entertain these requests or curtly says no, they are slammed for not listening to their fans who invest millions in them. In, fact, when another The Boyz member, Q asked fans to not take photos of him secretly while he was on vacation, Knetz mocked him and said that he should be glad that he has some fans who are willing to do that. And so, now The Boyz fans are angry that the same Knetizens are criticizing Sunwoo for something the fan assumed.

‘Netizens are assuming’

One user asked, “Seriously not weird its common flirting these days and idol probably meant it as fan service now how should be thats separate.” Another tweeted, “Idols get people saying shit like that to them all the time…I’m not surprised that’s what he thought she was gonna say. I’m fairly certain he didn’t say it to make her uncomfortable. He just said what he thought she’d want to hear.” One fan pointed out, “She didn’t even let him finish the sentence. So she and netizens are assuming. They don’t know what he was actually going to say.”

Another added, “But when a fan say the same thing is ok? That's so stupid.” One fan commented, "I know sunwoo is the type of person who likes to flirt but he won't ask a fan to sleep together what the f**k." Another shared, "When tf are y’all ever gonna leave my boyz alone? 🙄 like bruh get a life and them alone."

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