“We protected you”: An Apink fan’s blog about Son Naeun becomes the talk of the town

Apink member Son Naeun's decision to sit out the group's comeback promotions has devastated fans. An apparent incident of fans' disappointment with the idol was a fan uploading a lengthy blog post titled "We Have Shielded Son Naeun So Many F**king Times" on the popular online forum Pann Nate.

The blog post currently has 355,558 views, with 1429 users liking the post and agreeing with the user's opinions. The fan repeatedly reiterated how they "protected" the idol when she chose to go against the group decision for solo activities, but this has been their last straw.

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An Apink fan pens a letter expressing disappointment at Son Naeun’s non-participation in group comeback

Apink celebrated its tenth debut anniversary in September last year and announced a complete group comeback for February 2022. The news had fans elated as the reports mentioned that Son Naeun would also be participating, despite being the only member to have not renewed her contract with the group’s agency, IST Entertainment.

However, on January 17, her current agency, YG Entertainment, announced that she would not participate in upcoming comeback promotions other than a music video and jacket filming due to conflicting schedules. The announcement shattered the Pink Panda fandom’s dreams of seeing the entire group together.

Unable to contain their disappointment, fans took to online platforms to express their feelings towards the member’s non-participation. Among all, a post on Pann Nate gained much attention as a fan penned a letter saying they “can’t believe there’s something more important than Apink…” for the idol.

Note: Translations are taken via Koreaboo.

“When you danced lazily we shielded you, when we were together and you didn’t speak, we shielded you then too. When all the other members dyed their hair, but you were the only one who didn’t because of your drama filming, we protected you then too. Even when everyone around me scolded me for liking Apink, we told them that we knew the sincerity of Son Naeun so we shielded you then too. But this time, I don’t think we can shield you.”

The user added that they believe her current agency had a hand in it, but they also believe that the idol “most likely agreed” to the decision, making them feel more disheartened.

Son Naeun is currently seen in Ghost Doctor alongside Rain and Kim Bum. Moreover, YG Entertainment stated that the schedule conflicts arose from the discussions for her next project.

The idol prioritizing her solo activities added more to the disappointment, considering all six members were coming together for a full-group comeback after more than a year and a half.

“I can’t believe there’s something more important than Apink… Even if you were only promoting for two weeks and working for 2 weeks, or if you missed a couple of activities because you were busy—we would have understood. But instead, you firmly came out saying you can’t. It’s irresponsible and rude to the members and the agency. We are really disappointed.”

Additionally, Korean fans shared their opinions in the comments agreeing with the user’s post. They compared Son Naeun with member Eunji, who acts in dramas but never lets her solo activities take precedence over the group.

Comments under the Pann Nate blogpost (Screenshot via Pannchoa website)

Comments under the Pann Nate blogpost (Screenshot via Pannchoa website)

Meanwhile, Apink will be releasing a special album to celebrate its ten-year anniversary sometime in February 2022.