The real-life figure behind a member of the virtual K-Pop idol group PLAVE has come under fire for his past mixtape lyrics.
Recently, some fans discovered that member Eunho, the main rapper of PLAVE, was in fact a former K-Pop idol himself as well as an underground rapper who has released several solo mixtapes.
One mixtape contained a song titled "B**ch", which netizens believed featured misogynistic lyrics:
"Tall nose and a face the size of a fist
That fake smile, a pro at playing pretend
You're a so-called b**ch b**ch b**ch
Anyone can tell you're a b**ch b**ch b**ch
Tall heels and that lean body line
chin lifted, so chic
Pay for your own food you b**ch b**ch b**ch
Bring me a bottle of Febreze, you stink of soy bean paste you crazy b**ch."
In addition, several other songs on the mixtape also frequently used the same word "b**ch", and another song used concerning lyrics depicting a woman being terrorized by a stalker.
When the past lyrics brewed controversy on online communities, the real-life figure behind Eunho apologized for the lyrics he wrote when he was younger, also clarifying that the lyrics were fictional.
Furthemore, PLAVE's agency VLAST has also since issued a warning against the spread of information about the virtual group's members which can violate their privacy, emphasizing that it would respond with legal action against severe cases of defamation and invasion of privacy.
Meanwhile, the recent incident has also sparked a discussion among K-netizens about the legal repercussions of identifying and spreading information about "virtual idols" whose identities remain hidden.
Some speculated that legal repercussions would follow only in the case that "the information was spread for personal, private, and or financial gain", while others interpreted that the spread of information about "individuals whose jobs and duties require them to keep their identities hidden" could still lead to repercussions even without personal or financial gain.
In other news, the 5-member virtual K-Pop boy group PLAVE is preparing to release their 2nd mini album, 'ASTERUM : 134-1', on February 26 at 6 PM KST.
Well this is certainly awkward considering the entire point of a virtual boy group was to avoid drama like this