6 K-pop Male Idols Who Were Criticized for Wearing Controversial Outfits

By Israel Monte Mar 26, 2023

Aside from K-pop's variety of music, idols, groups, and personalities, which garners the attention of fans, fashion is also a major aspect that contributed on the genre's blooming.

While idols have that dress-to-impress nature, mishaps can occur along the way, may it be due to poor styling, accidental occurrences, or lack of knowledge.

Along those lines of mishaps, is when an idol is criticized due to controversial outfits. Idols can get dipped in hotseat because of this reason, whether it's on the styling, or the outfit's design.

Here are 6 K-pop male idols who caught flak for wearing controversial clothing!

1. Zico

In this list, Zico is the first one to be mentioned due to his controversial clothing in his "Tough Cookie" MV. Even though the much-anticipated release received lots of attention for its music, it also did the same for Zico's outwear on the MV's 3:36 and 4:11 timestamps, where the Confederate flag was exposed. The rapper was quickly slammed due to the flag's context of racism, slavery, and its notorious meaning as a hate symbol.

2. PSY

In one of his concerts, PSY once performed "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. Although the "Gangnam Style" singer is already known for his all-out, oddball concepts, his red leotard costume for his "Single Ladies" performance quickly became a hot topic. However, PSY pulled off a fantastic performance for the audiences as expected.

3. BTS Jimin

BTS Jimin also received attention for his controversial shirt in a 2017 episode of BTS's "Bon Voyage." On the video, the shirt contained a design, displaying the context of South Korea's independence from Japan, alongside with a photo of an atomic bomb.

Seeing this, netizens sent backlash against Jimin, and criticized the choice of clothing. The issue got heated to the point where Japanese netizens demanded BTS's banning from broadcast, leading to TV Asahi postponing their schedule for "Music Station."

4. Stray Kids Bang Chan

Bang Chan from Stray Kids caught fire from netizens for cultural appropriation. In one instance, the group's leader was seen sporting a braided hairstyle, cornrowed, and a bandanna. Although his hair caught the most attention, the context of controversy was still hot on his trails.

For further context, the hairstyling of braids, cornrows, and dreads in African (specifically African American) is often overlapped in the industry's usage, which can frequently intersect with racial discrimination and stereotyping.

5. NCT Lucas

NCT Lucas was also criticized wearing a t-shirt with a sexual design, causing discomfort online and offline. On May 22, 2020, the idol showed up in his Instagram live, where eagle-eyed fans took notice of his controversial getup. Netizens also wondered how Lucas can go out in public with the shirt, despite knowing his influence as an idol.