HYBE’s newest rookie girl group, TUIDE, has barely been in the industry for two weeks, but they are already smack in the middle of their first massive controversy. The seven-member group under sub-label ABD debuted in late August with their EP Tune & Play, bringing tons of hype and immediate eyeballs to their early music show appearances.
However, all that rookie excitement hit a wall on Sunday, September 6, when members Seoyeon and Jia joined Baby DONT Cry’s Yihyun as special guest MCs on SBS’s Inkigayo. Within minutes of the broadcast airing, social feeds exploded, not over their hosting skills, but over what they were wearing.
The Outfits Sparking Outrage
During the show, the idols appeared on screen wearing earth-toned, suede-like garments covered in long fringe details and geometric patterns. To international fans, the styling looked unmistakably like a generic caricature of traditional Indigenous or Native American regalia.
Clips and screenshots spread like wildfire across X and TikTok, with viewers calling out the broadcast for cultural appropriation. The backlash was immediate and fierce, with netizens pointing out that treating sacred, ceremonial clothing from real Indigenous cultures as a fun dress-up costume for a weekly music show is completely disrespectful.
[MY TAKE]
When idols wear culturally insensitive outfits on TV, the blame definitely goes towards the stylist. Idols don’t choose what they wear in a scenario with possibly insensitive outfits.
Ghost of 2018: The TWICE Jihyo Connection
Making the situation even more chaotic online, fans quickly noticed a bizarre and unfortunate connection: member Seoyeon is the younger sister of TWICE’s leader, Jihyo.
Longtime K-pop fans immediately brought up Jihyo’s own 2018 controversy, when she faced heavy criticism for wearing a Native American costume and calling herself “Indian Jihyo” at an official TWICE Halloween fan meeting. Seeing her younger sister put in almost identical aesthetic styling eight years later had timelines completely stunned.
While defenders noted that Seoyeon had zero say in her sister’s past controversies, the parallel is hard to ignore.
[MY TAKE]
I think Jihyo’s past controversy is a valid comparison tbh, styling is a very simple boundary that is constantly overstepped.
Why Does K-Pop Keep Making This Mistake?
