IVE Leeseo has spoken up about her recent controversy over not being familiar with Pikachu. Is she really not familiar with the popular Pokémon character? Read on to find out what she said.

IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

On the Sept. 1 broadcast of Naver NOW's "4Meet Now," IVE made a guest appearance. At one point during the show, Jang Wonyoung said that Leeseo looked like Pikachu that day.

(Photo : Twitter: @IVE_twt)
IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

Leeseo's response, however, surprised the hosts of the program (who were WJSN Dayoung and Eunseo on that day) and viewers. She replied that she didn't know who Pikachu was and that she only discovered the character through the relaunch of the famous Pokémon bread.

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Her statement resulted in various reactions from netizens, with some defending her while others criticized her.

(Photo : Twitter: @IVE_twt)
IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

On Sept. 4, IVE Leeseo clarified her statement about not knowing Pikachu during a fan call event. The fan, who asked her regarding her remarks, took to Twitter to upload a screenrecord of the "After LIKE" singer clearing up the issue.

The fan wrote on their tweet:

"Leeseo baby knew that it was a character from Pokémon but she didn't know that it was a manga. The sticker she wants to get from Pokémon bread is Squirtle."

READ MORE: 07-liner IVE Leeseo Shocks Viewers After Revealing 'Oldest' K-Drama in Her Memory

On the popular online forum Nate Pann, one netizen shared the fan's tweet and their post has now exceeded 116,000 views. Despite her clarification, some netizens still criticized her, pointing out that she initially said that she knew about Pikachu following the reproduction of the Pokémon bread.

(Photo : Nate Pann)
IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

Below are a few of the comments from other Nate Pann users:

"But she knew who Pikachu was, and it's possible not everyone knows Pikachu. Why are people dragging a 3rd grade middle school?"

"Is not knowing what Pikachu is worth receiving the same hate a school violence assailant would? Seriously, I'm curious."

"For real, people make a controversy out of nothing."

"Didn't she say that she knew about it because of the Pokémon bread?"

"She said she knew it because of the bread. But now there's a change of words?"

"Most girls don't watch Pokémon, well, I'm 05 liner and I only knew it through my older brother."

What are your thoughts on IVE Leeseo's clarification on her Pikachu controversy? Comment down below!

IVE Scores Fourth Music Show Win for 'After LIKE'

Amid Leeseo's Pikachu controversy, IVE was able to take home their fourth music show trophy for "After LIKE."

(Photo : Instagram: @ivestarship)
IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

On the Sept. 3 episode of MBC's "Music Core," the candidates for first place were BLACKPINK's "Pink Venom," IVE's "After LIKE," and NewJeans' "Attention." IVE ultimately claimed the trophy with 9,191 points.

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Meanwhile, "After LIKE" consistently dominates the top spot on major music charts in South Korea. As of 9 a.m. KST on Sept. 6, the song ranked first on MelOn, Genie, Bugs, and FLO, achieving its 184th real-time all-kill.

(Photo : Instagram: @ivestarship)
IVE Leeseo Clarifies Her Statement About Not Knowing Pokémon Character Pikachu

Moreover, "After LIKE" has also hit No. 1 on the weekly charts of both MelOn and Genie. This is their second time to reach the top of the two weekly charts this year (their first time was following the release of "LOVE DIVE" in April). As a result, IVE has become the first K-pop artist to have multiple songs that placed first on MelOn and Genie weekly charts this year.

Watch IVE's "After LIKE" music video below to celebrate their new feat:

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Written by Maria Scott