“fans are so embarrassing”- Internet slam fandoms over complaints about Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon pairing, leading to the subway ad removal

On January 23, 2025, a South Korean media outlet, iMBC News, reported that the subway advertisement featuring actors Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon from Lovely Runner was removed due to repeated complaints. The ad, which was part of a fan-driven campaign, faced backlash from certain factions of the fandom who questioned the decision to feature the two actors together.

The ad, initiated by fan voting and scheduled to run from January 13 to 27, 2025, at Konkuk University Station in Seoul, was halted by the advertising company Giftree following over 40 objections.

The complaints, reportedly questioning why Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon appeared together, led to the ad’s removal as per transportation corporation policies requiring suspension even for a single grievance.

This conflict led to its premature suspension, sparking heated discussions online. An X user, @weare_bts7, wrote,

"Why fans are so embarrasing!! I don't see anything wrong here like whattt?"

Fans of Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon criticized those responsible for the complaints, calling their actions unnecessary and detrimental to both the actors and the project.

"Oh God, it's in the news!! So embarrassing! Makes a joke out of the fans," a fan wrote.

"The power of the people should be canceled," a netizen remarked.

"I love Byeon Woo-seok but his fans continuously make harsh comment about hyeyoon and the fact that most of them are female makes me so angry like women downgrading another women," an X user mentioned.

"The reason why I stan the other half of the ship harder (imma girls girl). Though, Byeon Woo-seok also does not deserve these kind of fans," another person wrote.

Some fans of Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon also criticized the advertising company for its "unprofessionalism" and for failing to manage the situation more effectively.

"So unprofessional!!! you even exaggerated that you got 40 people complaints (in the end) you got only five, but you choose to threaten both WS and HY fandom that they will have a hard time getting an advertisement in the future because of this lol so funny," an X user wrote.

"The damage has been done! You are unprofessional and unfair! How come you issue a statement without properly communicating everything! You should take accountable to this, you brought chaos and confusion!!!!" another fan commented.

"You gave them a value more than voter. Do you not respect the voter and supporter? The main actors got the effect directly. Is that makes sense??" a netizen wrote.

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More about the advertising company’s statement on withdrawing Byeon Woo-seok Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon's Subway ad

The advertising company Giftree, responsible for organizing the campaign, released an official statement explaining the circumstances behind the decision. Giftree revealed that, as per the transportation corporation’s internal policy, any ad receiving even a single complaint must be suspended.

Despite efforts to address the issue, including revising the design and submitting proposals for alternative formats—such as featuring the actors individually for ten seconds each—the continued influx of objections made it impossible to resume the advertisement. As translated by Google, the company stated,

"Hello. This is the Giftree management. After the advertisement was aired, the Transportation Corporation received more than 40 complaints asking, "Why did they appear together?" According to the Transportation Corporation's internal policy, if even one complaint is received, the advertisement must be suspended, so we had to suspend it in a hurry."

The transportation authority further issued a warning, stating that continued complaints could result in restrictions on Giftree's ability to run subway ads in the future. In their statement, Giftree expressed regret over the situation, apologizing for their inability to fulfill the campaign’s goals despite the fans' votes. They also pledged to develop a compensation plan for the suspension period.

Giftree’s statement concluded with an appeal to fans to stop lodging complaints, emphasizing the potential negative impact on future advertising opportunities for the actors and other projects.

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The controversy has drawn significant attention, with many of Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon's fans criticizing the behavior of those who submitted complaints, calling it disruptive and unfair. While some expressed frustration over internal fandom conflicts, others called for more understanding and solidarity to ensure the success of future projects.