Arguably the most sensational issue in the K-Pop scene this week, the dating rumors surrounding Seventeen member Joshua and an SNS influencer continue to stir up fans, as those with divided opinions and viewpoints insist on clashing via various SNS platforms and online communities. 

Earlier this week, a lengthy letter dedicated to Joshua by a long time fan garnered attention on Korean online communities. The fan attempted to explain the reason why K-Pop fans find the "unnecessary exposure of an idol's private life" uncomfortable, "deceptive" and even "humiliating", and claimed that an idol is "responsible for keeping their private life hidden from public view, because when a fan discovers a side to the idol that is different from the 'ideal image' that has been drawn in their mind, they will feel that all of the affection they held for the idol amounts to nothing."

While there are those who agree with the popular Korean standard that K-Pop idols and fans share a "special relationship", there are also others who believe that such a viewpoint can be a form of "power abuse" by fans. 

Well, one netizen comment which challenged the letter mentioned above has caught the attention of Block B member U-Kwon. The comment read, "Ah f&ck~ Why are you people going sh*t crazy, calling this 'deception'? The word 'deception' should be used for instances like what Block B's U-Kwon did. In [Joshua's] case, it just became known because his love life was just a part of his daily life, so what are you gonna do. Every time, they pour all their money because they wanted to, and then demand their 'rights' to abuse power all they want." 

At the unwarned mention of his name, U-Kwon shared the comment on his Instagram story and responded with a blunt, "Excuse me?", surprising netizens. 

The Block B member is well-known by long time K-Pop fans as a rare case where he publicly revealed his relationship in the early years of Block B's promotions, in 2012. U-Kwon dated model Jeon Sun Hye even before his debut in Block B, and the two stars dated publicly for 10-years before confirming their breakup in May of 2022. 

While many Block B fans were largely open to U-Kwon's public relationship, the idol simultaneously earned a reputation for being a K-Pop idol who "refused to go along" with the popular concept of idols "dating" their fans. 

Meanwhile, some fans have been carrying out large-scale truck protests in front of the HYBE Labels building for the past few days, demanding that Joshua "leave" Seventeen.