The group (G)I-DLE’s Shuhua posted a photo showing her meeting with former member Soojin, who left the group due to school violence allegations. This has sparked a heated debate among fans.
On the 28th, Shuhua released 20 photos on her social media (SNS) with the caption “Day.Daily.” The published photos capture moments from Shuhua’s daily life.
The last photo caught fans’ attention.
This photo shows someone grilling meat with a ‘1849’ tattoo on the back of their hand. Although the face is not visible, fans presumed it to be former member Soojin, as she has a ‘1849’ tattoo on the back of her right hand. It is also known that these two have maintained a special bond since their time in (G)I-DLE.
Soojin debuted with (G)I-DLE in 2018 but halted her activities in 2021 due to school violence allegations. She later left (G)I-DLE and terminated her contract with the agency. Soojin resumed her career as a solo artist in 2023.
This background led to criticism that Shuhua’s photo hinting at a meeting with Soojin was inappropriate.
Among fans, criticisms such as “They can be close personally but why show it off on SNS?”, “It’s not like she left on good terms, doesn’t she consider the fans?”, “Releasing the tattooed hand photo is just asking to be noticed”, “As a fan, I don’t like this issue being brought up again” were pouring out.
On the other hand, some fans defended Shuhua. They argued, “It’s just a hand, not a face. It’s an overreaction”, “The control is too strict. Personal life should be respected”, “Can relationships be cut off instantly? It’s not something to be criticized for”, “It’s not like she endorsed the bullying. They just met, what’s the problem?”
(G)I-DLE debuted in 2018 with ‘LATATA’ and gained recognition by winning first place on a music program in just 20 days. Since then, they have solidified their position as a third-generation girl group, with every release such as ‘TOMBOY’, ‘Queencard’, ‘Super Lady’ performing well on domestic music charts.
In December of last year, they won their first grand prize at the ‘Melon Music Awards 2024’, marking 7 years since their debut. Their acceptance speech included the news that all members re-signed with their current agency, garnering attention.
The group debuted as ‘(G)I-DLE’ but began activities simply as ‘I-DLE’ from 2022 and officially changed their name to ‘I-DLE’ in May.