"Not taeyang calling those haters ILLITERATE"— Internet reacts as the BIGBANG idol shares interview amid backlash over 'able to open doors' remark

On January 6, 2025, Taeyang, a member of the legendary K-pop group BIGBANG, addressed online criticism through his Instagram account, @__youngbae__. Many fans interpreted this as his subtle response to the backlash he faced from a section of BTS fans, often referred to as ARMY. Sharing a link to his recent CNN interview, the idol captioned it,

"Check out the full version of my interview with CNN."

The controversy began a day earlier when Taeyang’s remarks during the interview sparked a heated debate online. In the interview, he reflected on BIGBANG's influence on K-pop’s global popularity and expressed pride in how the group contributed to creating opportunities for future generations of K-pop artists.

"Thankfully, we were able to open doors to global markets for many K-pop groups that came after us, and they can perform on world-famous stages. I wouldn't say we pioneered that, but it feels great to see that our efforts have played a part in that," he remarked.

However, some ARMY members criticized his statement, interpreting it as an attempt to undermine BTS's contributions to K-pop's global dominance.

Fans quickly came to his defense, saying that his comments were taken out of context. With Taeyang sharing his story, netizens flocked to social media to speculate on its possible implications. An X user, @stillxxxlife, wrote,

"not taeyang calling those haters ILLITERATE."

Others also joined in to share their perspectives.

"They think they can intimidate a Legend," a fan mentioned.

"very classy, very demure, very iconic, very idgaf lmao," an X user wrote.

"LEARN HOW TO READ AND COMPREHEND!!! STOP EMBARASSING YOUR IDOLS. SMH," a netizen mentioned.

"king of not giving a sh*t," a fan added.

Others joined the discussion, emphasizing that this situation should never have escalated into a "controversy."

"there’s absolutely no controversy here, he’s just telling the truth. and if anyone has a problem with that, well, clearly they’re the problem. upss," a netizen wrote.

"There was nothing controversial about what he said. He was spitting facts and ho*s got mad. Man is the least problematic artiste in Kpop & suddenly y’all wanna turn him into a villain because you can’t accept the truth," a user added.

"He just say he and his group one of kpop idol that open the door for others... Well he not lies tho.. 2nd gen really work hard even that time no android phone and easy access internet," an X user commented.

---

More about BIGBANG's Taeyang and his recent activities

Dong Young-bae, aka Taeyang, is a South Korean singer and a member of the K-pop group BIGBANG. Debuting in 2006, he rose to fame with the group, becoming a pivotal figure in the global expansion of K-pop.

Beyond his success with BIGBANG, the idol launched his solo career in 2008 with his debut EP, Hot. In 2022, he joined a subsidiary of YG Entertainment, THE BLACK LABEL, led by producer Teddy.

Taeyang recently announced plans to celebrate BIGBANG's 20th anniversary with special events, further cementing his legacy in the music industry.

Additionally, he announced a special encore performance titled 2025 TOUR [THE LIGHT YEAR] ENCORE, which will take place on February 1, 2025, at the Incheon Inspire Arena.