"People are so quick to ostracize" — LE SSERAFIM's Yunjin opens up about toxic body standards and cyberbullying in her Weverse letter

LE SSERAFIM's Yunjin wrote a poignant letter on Weverse on September 7, 2024, opening up about cyberbullying, the pressure of being an idol, and the determination to overcome hatred. In her letter, she addressed her fans, FEARNOTs, and confessed about constantly being pressured to have a certain body type, visuals, attitude, and more. She wrote,

"I feel the pressures of a standard getting stronger upon our generation, especially young girls — a certain body type, a certain look, a certain attitude, a certain vibe. Anything other becomes the Other. People are so quick to ostracize, calling people "cringe" or weird for simply looking and liking what they do."

Yunjin continued by stating that as K-pop idols, they are expected to tolerate every bullying, hate, and hurtful word thrown at them. She revealed that if an idol reacts or admits to getting hurt by cyberbullying, then they are treated as "uncool," who don't know how to take a joke.

"And it is often done in a passive air of cynical humor, the cruelest way, because, like classic microaggression, if you get hurt, you become the uncool one who just doesn't know how to take a joke. [...] When, in actuality, your uniqueness is what sets you apart. Your multidimensionality cannot fit into a 1080x1080 square."

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LE SSERAFIM's Yunjin assures fans that she will overcome negativity and fight against cyberbullying alongside them

Meanwhile, the band released their new EP, CRAZY, on August 30, 2024. Once again, they were criticized by netizens for incorporating voguing (a dance form) in their CRAZY MV and alleged cultural appropriation by including African dancers. However, their fans always defended them and lauded them for breaking K-pop stereotypes and creating gender and ethnicity-inclusive albums.

In her letter, Yunjin said that people are quick to ostracize others, especially K-pop idols, for their shortcomings. She said,

"People will always pick you apart for your shortcomings and outcast you for your differences. But among those watching, someone is waiting for something to show them it's okay to be themselves. [...] So, believe me when I say that your voice matters. You make a difference. [...] but I promise you you are not alone. You are never alone. I will be fighting alongside you to choose love over likes."

Source Music's rookie girl group, LE SSERAFIM, debuted in May 2022, with their debut EP, Fearless. Since their launch, the group has constantly been overshadowed by some controversy. During their debut, a former group member, Kim Garam, got embroiled in a controversy over high school bullying and was removed from the group.

Following that, the group debuted as a five-piece band and soon came under fire for their outfit choices during the release of their second EP, ANTIFRAGILE. Recently, they were criticized for their outfits and MV concept in their February 2024 mini-album release, EASY. They were also criticized for alleged cultural appropriation for shooting their merch collection with African models.

Source Music is one of the subsidiary labels under HYBE Corporation. In April 2024, HYBE locked horns with Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR (another subsidiary label). They lodged an F.I.R. against her for contract breach and insider trading. During this feud, LE SSERAFIM got accused of plagiarism for their album, EASY.

Furthermore, LE SSERAFIM was also criticized for their lack of vocal skills during their performance at the 2024 Coachella Music Festival on April 13. LE SSERAFIM member Sakura wrote a letter on Weverse apologizing for their performance and requested netizens to refrain from cyberbullying them.

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LE SSERAFIM released their documentary, Make It Look Easy, on July 29, 2024, on the YouTube channel of HYBE LABELS. The docu-series has 5 episodes chronicling the group's training, their debut in 2022, and the constant hardships and cyberbullying they endured.