NCT's Mark and Renjun (Image via Twitter/@NCTsmtown_DREAM)

"It's getting out of hand": Fans express frustration as NCT's Mark comments on Renjun's weight

Modified Jul 21, 2023 12:10 GMT

On Thursday, July 20, NCT's Mark and other DREAM members went on to Bubble, the online fan community platform, to chat with NCTzens. In a conversation between Haechan, Jisung, and Mark, the three talked about the food that they were craving, and as a response, the trio responded with random jokes at each other.

At one point, NCT's Mark left a comment saying that their Renjung should gain some weight. He also continued to leave another comment stating that the members are "too skinny."

Fans felt that the comment was unnecessary and given that it was a sensitive topic, netizens expressed that it was both rude and disrespectful of the idol to make such statements:

★ jiwoong ★

@yeonjunnies_xo

Didn’t Mark say that comments about weight frustrate him? And now he talked about Renjun’s weight. I’m sorry but this behavior is not normal at all, like they keep talking about weight all the time it’s getting out of hand.

"It's upsetting to see": Fans criticize NCT's Mark for his insensitive comment on Renjun's weight

Given that Bubble is a frequently used app by NCT members, there have been several instances where there have been random conversations between the artists. While it rarely ever turns out to be problematic, Mark's latest two problematic comments one after the other upset many fans. On the topic of food, NCT's Mark first talked about Renjun, who wasn't even among the members who were active on Bubble:

"Renjun-ah, you need to gain some weight."

Soon after, as the leader and the eldest member of NCT DREAM, he also addressed all the members, referring to them as his 'babies':

"My babies are too skinny."

NCT's Mark, Haechan, and Jisung's conversation in Bubble (Image via Twitter)

After laughing at Mark's comment, Jisung replied by saying that he'll make sure to eat all his meals hereafter. As soon as the Bubble chat landed on the internet, NCTzens and netizens, in general, had various perspectives to share about the same.

When NCT's Mark was initially criticized for commenting on someone's weight, many fans defended him. People expressed that in Korean culture, when someone asks another person to gain weight, it comes from a place of love, and it stands as a showcase of love. On the other hand, the people to whom Mark's comment reached without context were naturally offended by what he said to Renjun.

Additionally, Renjun had also opened up about not being able to eat well due to his decreasing appetite in the past. Given Mark's position as the leader and the eldest, many expressed saying that he was taking care and showing love for his fellow members through his comments. However, netizens weren't satisfied with the same:

mm 🕊️ 29

@markflovebot

cw weight

waking up to the comments mark made about renjun’s weight :( im disappointed by what he said and i really hope he sees people’s outrage and apologizes about it. he definitely should know better and it’s upsetting to see

lara🩰

@shwit_dulmane

@mariaysobelle mark said renjun is skinny and that his babies needs to gain weight :<<< idk the tone but mARK :<<<

💿✮

@kvttyuu

mark has said that he doesn’t like weight comments, so for him to turn around and make a weight comment about renjun is just so ?? like idek what to say anymore. dream has some serious issues & they need to learn that these constant weight remarks-

hans 🍬

@chrmdrswlln

i get that mark might have said that to renjun out of care, but that doesn’t mean he should comment on someone’s weight

fee 🍭 루나,루시, 루크의이모 💕

@njaeminb_

mark is close friends to renjun and he just said let’s gain some weight.. ya it’s not fatshaming at all

jeno jeno bonito ☆

@glitchmo0d3

if mark really cared abt renjun passing out, he could’ve just said something not directed to his appearance maybe? like let’s be healthy instead of let’s gain weight. idc how normalised it is too, commenting on ppls weight is not nice period and doing so, publicly. twitter.com/music_remedy33…

李马克有重要的话说 🍳🌷

@802vibe

mark shouldn’t comment on others weight even though it’s a sign of caring.. hope that he can reflect on his choice of words… if he doesn’t like ppl to comment about his weight on him, he shouldn’t do it too.

alicia #LetUsTasteRedVelvet3_0

@latinaseul

i truly love and adore mark so much, but with that being said i don’t understand his need to mention other’s weight. not only as a public figure but just as a GROWN MAN he should know better than to be commenting on someone’s weight. especially knowing that he himself has +

Many expressed that in no circumstances is talking or commenting about someone's weight accepted and even if it comes from a place of care, it's hard to know how it will reach the person it's directed. People also stated that there are many other ways he could show that he loves and is taking care of his members without bringing Renjun's weight into the picture.

Fans grew all the more concerned about the issue, as this was Mark's second time commenting about his members' weight. Only a few weeks ago, NCT's Mark was criticized for asking Jeno to keep going to the gym in order to lose weight.

Other NCT DREAM members like Haechan and Chenle were also held accountable for their fatphobic or body-shaming comments to their fellow members, specifically Jeno. As the instances continue to grow in numbers, fans express their frustration and disappointment in the idols' actions.

Edited by
Abhipsa Choudhury