In the K-pop industry, there's a term called "Celebrity Disease," which is when a celebrity thinks their status is higher than others due to their popularity. This disease would make them snobbish and believe that the world revolves around them, and nothing can function without them.

Several K-pop idols fell victim to "celebrity disease," and some of them are as follows.

K-pop Idols Who Had 'Celebrity Disease': Jeon Somi, Stray Kids Han, More

Jeon Somi

"DUMB DUMB" singer Jeon Somi openly admitted to going through a time of having the "celebrity disease." During her appearance in an episode of JaeJae's "MMTG," the idol revealed that she caught the disease when she was still promoting as an I.O.I member.

The female soloist shared that she thought other people would naturally take care of her because she was famous. However, she then realized there's a difference between asking for a favor and saying "do this for me."

Fortunately, Jeon Somi eventually cured her "celebrity disease" after a rumor about her not bowing to her seniors circulated.

Stray Kids Han

Although Stray Kids Han doesn't have this kind of disease after his debut, he had it when he was only a trainee. He revealed this in an episode of "2 Kids Room" back in 2019.

Before debuting as a Stray Kids member, Han first became part of 3RACHA, a hip-hop trio that produces their own songs (alongside Bang Chan and Changbin). Because of this, it made him think that his status was higher as he had already debuted.

During a monthly evaluation of 3RACHA, the three of them performed, and afterward, they were supposed to be done. However, Han saw something that made him want to show off. He then took his phone to the stage and took a photo in front of the other trainees.

After his debut with Stray Kids, he reflected on his past mistakes and got very humble.

WINNER Kang Seungyoon

During his appearance on SBS's "Flower Crew" in 2016, WINNER member Kang Seungyoon confessed that he caught the "celebrity disease" after his sudden popularity through an audition program.

He didn't mention what audition show it was. Still, it may be referring to the time he competed in "Superstar K2" and became massively popular for his rendition of "Instinctively" (originally by Yoon Jong Shin), which he performed during his last stage. This earned him multiple rookie awards and an invitation from YG Entertainment to become a trainee.

2PM Taecyeon

On the July 13 broadcast of KBS's "The Human Condition" in 2013, 2PM Junho and Jun.K revealed that one of their co-member was suffering from the "celebrity disease," and it was Ok Taecyeon. Junho said at that time that Taecyeon would always stay outside the waiting room and enjoy receiving greetings from the juniors.

Jun.K added that he once saw Taecyeon asking people if they would like to take a picture with him.

Former SECHSKIES Kang Sunghoon

Former SECHSKIES member Kang Sunghoon is infamous for developing a severe "celebrity disease." He came under scrutiny in 2019 when a video of him was uploaded to YouTube.

The now-deleted video shows him insulting the looks of current K-pop idols while talking to fans, saying, "Idols these days are ugly." He added that if he launched a group, he would prioritize appearance.

UP10TION Lee Jinhyuk

Finally, this male K-pop idol was accused of having the "celebrity disease" in early 2020 due to his manners during an Instagram live broadcast.

At that time, actress Kim Seulgi (who played the girlfriend of Jinhyuk's character in "Find Me in Your Memory") and Moon Ga Young held an Instagram live and acted as their respective characters from "Find Me in Your Memory." Jinhyuk appeared in the comments, and as a reply, Kim Seulgi said, "Honey, see you later," causing her to receive hate from Lee's fans.

As a result, UP10TION Lee Jinhyuk held his own Instagram live and asked the netizens to forget about it as it was only a simple mistake. He then read one comment that said, "How tiring for a superstar to pay mind to such trivial things," jokingly while playing the role of a "superstar."

This led to more hate comments, and netizens accusing him of having a "celebrity disease." He has since apologized after the controversy.

TWICE Chaeyoung

Chaeyoung was accused of catching the 'celebrity disease' after just a year since her debut.

Following the virality of "CHEER UP," Chaeyoung was seen exiting the JYP Entertainment building. She appeared to be on a call, with her phone pressed against her ear. Though fans were waiting at the entrance, Chaeyoung ignored their cheers and walked away.

People believe that Chaeyoung faked the phone call to ignore fans. It was noted that usually, when making or receiving a call, the phone screen would light up. However, Chaeyoung's screen remained dark the whole time - even when she moved the screen away from her ear to supposedly hang up the call.

The idol was slammed for ignoring fans, especially since she was still considered a rookie at the time.

f(x) Krystal

Krystal was accused of having "celebrity disease" in 2015. At the time, the idol-actress was slammed for her poor attitude during the 2015 MAMA ceremony.

During the red carpet interviews, Krystal looked bored and disinstered. When fellow MC Moon Hee Joon asked "You're not angry or anything, are you?," Krystal gave him a stern look. Her fellow member and co-host Luna quickly cracked a joke to dispel the tension.

Moon Hee Joon is a large senior in the industry, and Krystal was slammed for being rude to him. At the time, Krystal was on a rise with her activities as an idol and an actress, causing many to accuse the idol of having "celebrity disease" and being rude to her colleagues.

Additionally, Krystal was once called out in 2014 for being late to a Jill Stuar photo event, causing the whole event to be postponed a day later. People believe her tardiness is a direct cause of her "celebrity disease."

aespa NingNing

In October 2022, aespa member Ningning was accused of having "celebrity disease" following interaction with fans in Paris.

After attending the Givenchy show for Paris Fashion Week, the aespa members were seen leaving their hotel to attend an after-party. As expected, several fans waited outside the hotel for a chance to greet their favorite stars.

Ningning was seen exiting the hotel, and fans immediately started screaming her name. Surprisingly, Ningning was seen covering her ears as fans yelled her name and rushed towards the car.. Once she was seated, she crossed her arms and covered her ears once more.

At the time, Ningning garnered backlash for looking annoyed at fans. As she is a public figure, netizens believe she should always look grateful to the fans who support her. With that, people accused her of having "celebrity disease."

Which other K-pop idols do you know had this so-called "celebrity disease"? Name them in the comments section below!

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Written by Maria Scott