"Nobody on ur side babe": Fans discover protest truck fundraiser for RIIZE’s Seunghan’s removal from the group, criticize Korean netizens

On August 30, 2023, a tweet from X account @RIIZE_0202 went viral as it asked for fans to help them fundraise protest truck demonstrations demanding Seunghan’s removal from the soon-to-debut boy group. The tweet arrived at the heels of the 19-year-old rookie posting an apology for his past relationship controversy and SM Entertainment releasing a statement addressing the issue on the same day.

Two days ago, pictures of RIIZE’s 19-year-old member kissing his girlfriend created much buzz on the internet. Considering the group is yet to debut, the majority of reactions from Korean netizens were apparently of bewilderment and full of criticism.

The negative attention heightened when people found out about a group of fans planning to host a protest truck demonstration demanding the 19-year-old’s removal from the group.

Tweet Caption: “Raising money for RIIZE Seunghan's protest truck. Fundraise time: 8.30~9.1”

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International fans criticize Korean netizens as they discover a protest truck fundraising event for Seunghan's removal from RIIZE

SM Entertainment’s upcoming boy group, RIIZE, that had many K-pop fans enthusiastically looking forward to their debut, landed up in another controversy recently. Although the group, unfortunately, hasn’t been far away from other scandals, the latest, including the 19-year-old member Seunghan, has prompted a fundraising for protest demonstrations among Korean netizens.

On August 28, photos of Seunghan kissing his alleged underaged girlfriend went viral on social media. The pictures were released without any statement or details. A day later, SM Entertainment informed fans that the rookie artist had a poor health condition and hence, would be unable to participate in an upcoming event.

While the absence only fueled more speculations, on August 30, Seunghan posted an apology for his past actions. He said that he “had caused harm to the team at a very important and critical moment” ahead of their debut and even “disappointed” them and the staff.

A few hours later, fans discovered a Korean netizen or a group organizing a fundraiser on X platform to demand the 19-year-old's removal from RIIZE. The tweet was also posted on the South Korean forum Instiz. Korean netizens’ reactions to the tweet were mixed, as some said that they do not pity him while others felt that the truck protest was crossing the line.

Korean netizens’ comments on Instiz (Image via pannchoa)

On the other hand, international fans defended Seunghan and vehemently criticized Korean netizens engaging in the fundraiser. One fan mentioned that their actions sounded “embarrassing” while another mentioned that they were being “annoying.”

Meanwhile, there is yet to be an update regarding Seunghan's "poor health condition," including the date of when he would resume activities with RIIZE. Some netizens are speculating that the 19-year-old might be removed from the group, considering that his past relationship controversy currently does not seem to die down.

Moreover, other members have also been swept up in their own controversies. Wonbin was accused of school bullying while Sohee was criticized for going to a "hunting bar" (clubs meant for blind-date hookups) and cursing.

In other news, RIIZE have been gearing up for their much-anticipated debut on September 4, 2023, with their first single album, Get a Guitar.