The K-pop community sent heated reactions online, claiming SM Entertainment had "media played" NCT Dream.

Here's what happened.

SM Entertainment's Media Play? Fans Annoyed with Report Stating NCT Dream Was Equal to BTS & EXO

On January 3, an online community was gathered by netizens, who expressed disdain over SM Entertainment's "media play" for NCT Dream.

According to the post, the author relayed the report from Korean news outlet Sports Seoul, which headlined the article, "7-Year 'Textbook of Growth' NCT Dream, Seo Taiji > Shoulder to Shoulder with EXO and BTS."

OP then followed an enumeration of NCT Dream's achievements, as well as their growth in the K-pop industry and Daesang wins from the annual Seoul Music Awards.

"NCT Dream started as a team with youths, eventually becoming a global top group that won the daesang for two consecutive years."

"NCT Dream, a group that has achieved immense growth over the past seven years, has soared high as a representative K-pop group. As a result, NCT Dream became included in the list of artists who won the Daesang's honor twice, which is a difficult feat."

"NCT Dream won their first Daesang at the 32nd Seoul Music Awards in 2023 seven years after their debut, followed by a second Daesang at the 33rd Seoul Music Awards in Bangkok, Thailand this 2024. The top spot has been occupied by them for consecutive years."

It also shared NCT Dream's consecutive success through their best-selling albums, which led them to become one of K-pop's top acts.

"It's even more worthy due to how the group grows every year.

This started from becoming the first million-seller with their first full album 'Hot Sauce,' NCT Dream has established being triple million-sellers with three full albums, including their July full album, cementing them as a global top group."

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In the forum, Korean netizens reacted negatively to the claims, stating that SM Entertainment had done media play for NCT Dream.

They also pointed out how the inclusion of BTS and EXO gave it away, while some criticized NCTzens for celebrating NCT Dream's accomplishments.

Others directed their annoyance towards the Seoul Music Awards, claiming how "rigged" the award show was. International netizens also declared how NCT Dream was the most "forced" group in K-pop.

Read their reactions below:

•  "Shoulder to shoulder with BTS' lol. This is why no matter how much we swear at them, they'll still shove that daesang down our throats."
•  "A daesang artist with no hit songs."
•  "They'll use this disgusting daesang to pretend it was impartial in the future."
•  "Dream fans are just the same."

Translations:

•  "Our Dream got a daesang. Yes, now I'm a Dream fan of a daesang singer."
•  "Thank you Sports Seoul for putting the daesang artists for two years in a row in your front page."
•  "The daesang singer Lee Jeno."
•  "You just wait and see people, this is the skill of a daesang artist."
•  "Crazy, our Dreams will enter Korea as daesang singers."

•  "Only idols fans are aware of the corruption behind Seoul Music Awards' daesang, muggles have no idea about it."
•  "So no matter how much we swear at them, SM can still media play their daesang like that and muggles will think that they're actually doing well so they received a daesang."
•  "The most forced group in history. Frauds."
•  "For real wasn't their biggest hit in SK them remaking Candy."
•  "No shade, name me a bigger fraud group in K-pop History."

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Written by Riely Miller