SEVENTEEN Dino's mention of a "noona" on VLive turns online forums into chaos

SEVENTEEN’s DK held a late-night snacking livestream on January 24 late night KST. The now-deleted livestream turned chaotic when Dino, out of the frame and unaware of DK’s ongoing livestream, accidentally mentioned a “noona” (a term of respect given to older females). Her mention led to a hilarious reaction of DK gasping and covering his mouth.

However, a clip of the livestream is doing the rounds on Twitter leading to some fans putting on their detective hats to figure out the acquaintance.

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Netizens guess the identity of SEVENTEEN Dino’s “noona” mentioned on DK’s now-deleted livestream

SEVENTEEN’s DK hosted a VLive late on January 24 to chat with fans while eating snacks. An 18-minute replay is available on the group’s VLive channel, but a previous livestream replay seems to have been deleted by the agency due to Dino’s blunder.

A clip from the first (now-deleted) livestream recorded the exact moment that the show went sideways which was when Dino entered the room and accidentally mentioned a female acquaintance. Vernon saved the day as he entered the frame nonchalantly, greeted fans, asked DK for some food, and left, calming the situation down a bit.

However, Dino’s mention of a noona elicited a relatively non-toxic response, albeit people got curious about who the noona could be. Comments on Korean platforms were filled with varied opinions. They believed the situation could have been subdued if DK didn’t end the VLive and the staff didn’t delete the replay.

Moreover, the identity caused chaos as everyone refuted each other’s speculations. They debated if the female was a close friend, female idol friend, acquaintance, manager, or staff.

K-netz reaction on blog (Screenshot via Pann Choa website)

Some netizens believed Dino said “Ye-won noona” and tried to paint Umji as the acquaintance. The former GFriend and current VIVIZ member, Umji’s real name is Kim Ye-won. As it gave Umji a negative spotlight and hate, others rose to defend her, saying that she isn’t the only Ye-won in South Korea.

The identity of the noona remains undisclosed. Within the overly possessive and toxic culture of K-pop, mentioning any idol, showcasing friendship or any kind of interaction with another gender is considered unethical. However, a majority of fans hope the situation and fandom's outlook towards idols and their friendships with the opposite gender changes soon.

Meanwhile, the self-producing superstar group SEVENTEEN recently made a comeback with its ninth EP Attacca and lead single Rock with You.