Netizens are debating KickFlip member Kyehoon's Bubble messages.
On an online forum, users discussed a series of messages the 2004-born rookie idol sent to fans subscribed to his Bubble. Kyehoon has recently drawn attention for his distinctive messaging style, which he believed "was supposed to simulate an actual relationship" with him as a "boyfriend" figure. His unique approach even led to an individual guest appearance on 'MMTG.'
At first, Kyehoon's messages earned lighthearted praise from fans and netizens, who found them playful and affectionate. He sent messages such as:
"Should I give you an English name? How about Darling? Your first name will be 'MyDar' and last name 'ling.' Yo MyDar. Your full name is MyDarLing. Oh, you've never been to the U.S.? Let's go there for our honeymoon. Is there somewhere you'd like to go? Don't go anywhere, just stay inside my heart."
"You all are telling me to share a little bit about my everyday life. Let's do it. Noona, you're my everyday life. That's what you wanted to hear, right? Cute. What did I do today? I woke up this morning and shouted 'I miss noona' three times, but I was still going crazy so I looked at your picture. But that still wasn't enough, so I closed my eyes again so that I might see you in my dreams."
"Hey, honey, look at me. Sleep early today. You’ll probably be tired again tomorrow since you’re so popular. You are the best thing I have that I can be proud of. What about you?"
"Noona, you have to put on makeup. Because your bare face is even more beautiful, you have to hide it from other people. Don't ever show it to anyone else."
However, some of his other messages have sparked controversy due to their tone and phrasing, regardless of intent.
He wrote: "I am noona's battery of love. Sorry, that was a bit too old, right? I'll stay on top of the trend. I should go and get some London Bagels. Has that trend already passed? Sorry, I didn't know that was controversial. Thank you for letting me know."
His mention of "London Bagels" became a sensitive topic because London Bagel Museum, a popular Korean café and bagel brand, faced public backlash in July after one of its employees, reportedly overworked with 80-hour weeks, passed away.
Although Kyehoon quickly apologized for being unaware of the controversy, another older message resurfaced online, adding fuel to the debate:
"Are there any underage people here? I am very cautious with underage people since I am of age. But I don't want to be cautious with my darlings. Hey, adults, listen carefully. Adults, are you listening? Let's have some steamy conversations."
These particular messages left many netizens puzzled about his intentions. While some were understanding toward Kyehoon for "not being aware of the London Bagel Museum incident," others criticized his "questionable" remarks about wanting to have "steamy" conversations "with adults," especially since he knew there were "still underage fans present."
Many also felt it was "unfortunate" that his previously positive buzz for a fresh and entertaining Bubble style was now "turning into criticism," noting that "gaining popularity through words can be risky."
While some netizens found the second set of messages "borderline inappropriate," others took a more neutral stance, saying he "didn’t really cross the line" and may have "been trying too hard to be cautious, only to fumble in the end."
Meanwhile, many fans suggested that this controversy was "fueled by other fandoms who can’t stand seeing a rookie male idol gain popularity and attention through a paid subscription app."
Reactions include:
"It doesn’t seem like he crossed the line that much though."
"Why are people even getting upset over something like this?"
"What’s the problem..?"
"Is the issue that 'talking about something steamy' sounds like he was suggesting something sexual?"
"Huh? He apologized right away, what’s the problem;; He’s just getting popular these days, so of course people are starting to twist thingsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ"
"He’s better off not using Bubble…"
"The second Bubble post was way too risky. Stuff like that is really not it."
"There are probably tons of people who want him to flop on Bubble since he got popular through it..."
"London Bagel apologized right away, and I think it’s possible he didn’t know, but yeah, the second one was cutting it close... what kind of vibe even is that?"
"People complain about everything… is this really worth saying 'those who rise with their words fall with them'?"
"He got popular because people talked about him in a good way, so I think he’s just trying to keep that buzz going, but I wish someone would tell him he doesn’t need to try that hard anymore."
"When you joke around a lot, sometimes you cross a line. As a fan, I’d rather see him focus more on his main work than on how witty he can be."
"Too much."
"‘Steamy talk with adults’? That joke totally flopped."
"Cringe..."
"People are overreacting... he didn’t even say anything crazy. If he’s busy, maybe he just didn’t know. I only found out after it went viral too..."
"Some people just want to get him dragged, huh?"
"London Bagel might not have known—it’s not like he made a joke about minors or anything…"
"Looking at his past jokes, he’s usually witty, but yeah, he does need to be careful. The latest one was a bit risky, but I think the backlash is more about people trying to keep him in checkㅜ"
"Every time someone starts rising, people immediately try to drag them down again."
"Why am I getting embarrassed for him"
"People saying it’s backlash because he’s popular are overthinking it. I don’t even know who this guy is, but that second one was definitely risky."
"He probably just made a mistake while trying to do well."
"Paid fan communication is a double-edged sword... he was getting hyped for doing well, and now he’s getting dragged immediately."
"He didn’t even say much, but I guess there are fans mad because their own idols don’t do fanservice like that. Chill out."
"Whenever someone gets a good reaction, there are always people trying to drag them downㅋㅋㅋ"
"Seriously, don’t overdo it, Kyehoon..."
"Ugh… there’s enough chaos these days. Since he apologized right away, I won’t say much more."
"The first one doesn’t seem like a big deal since he apologized immediately, but the second one—yeah, he should be more careful. He’s an idol after all."
"Can’t we just let something like this go? It’s really nothing. People are digging up every little thing just to find reasons to attack someone—it’s exhausting."
"He probably just got too excited from all the good reactions. He’s a rookie—this is probably the first time he’s gotten this much attention, of course he’d be happy."
"I get that he blew up through Bubble, but I wonder how long he’ll keep that concept going. He’s a rookie, so it’s nice to see him working hard though."
"I thought he was a bit risky from the start, but now that’s just part of his concept. People who like that kind of thing will subscribe anyway."
"Judging from the comments, lots of people don’t like it. The ones saying 'it’s just being used to drag him' or 'it’s backlash' sound more excessive than the actual criticism."
"He doesn’t even know who Hailey Bieber is, so I doubt he’s that internet-savvy. And honestly, the second one isn’t that bad, but yeah, being more careful would be betterㅋㅋㅋ Maybe I’m just being too nice? It’s literally a concept Bubble anyway."
"The second message... that one’s borderline."
"What kind of 'steamy talk'? Why would you say that in front of all your fans?"
"If a random guy said that, it would’ve been annoying, but if the fans like it, then whatever."
"The second one was a bit much though."
"He probably needs to tone down that concept now."
"‘Steamy talk’ was really not it."
"It’s about time he stopped."
"That kind of concept can easily go wrong with just one step over the line."
"The overprotective fans are more of a problem. Hopefully, this makes him realize he needs to be more careful—it’ll be good for him in the long run."
"The first one doesn’t seem like a big deal, but yeah, he should definitely be cautious with the second one."
"Isn’t that the kind of content people subscribed for anyway? If you don’t like it, just unsubscribeㅋㅋ"
"Only the last one was bad; the rest were fine."
"The first one didn’t bother me since he apologized right away, but the second could definitely rub some people the wrong way."
"The first is whatever, but the second makes me uncomfortable since there are underage fans too."
"That’s basically a sexually suggestive comment, but wow, the shielding is insane. That’s the one he should’ve apologized for."
"How can you not know London Bagel Music? Are you living under a rock? You should at least know how society works a bit. People keep defending him too much. It’s not like he became a hot topic yesterday. 'Being targeted'?ㅋㅋㅋ He’s only 'targeted' because he’s that popular?"
"‘Steamy talk’... what even is that?"
"The second one was already going around before, so why bring it up now?"
"I saw the second one a while ago—why is it suddenly an issue again?"
"The second one got a good response? If it were my idol, they’d be getting roasted with a thousand hate posts by now. The trending board sure is selectiveㅋㅋㅋ Just don’t push it further—he’s a rookie, so he should be careful."
"The second one was really bad. He should focus on his actual work. Stuff like that is just asking for a slip-up."
"I’m more surprised he didn’t even know about the London Bagel controversy..."
"I had a feeling from his Bubble posts that he’d cross the line someday—and of course, he did."
"I really don't like that 'steamy talk' comment for the 'adults'."
"Just because we’re adult fans doesn’t mean we want to have sexual conversations with idols. Saying stuff like that is obviously inappropriate. People saying they don’t see the problem—don’t go around telling others 'let’s have a steamy talk,' use some awareness."
"Honestly, I’m a bit nervous something else might blow up at this rate."
"You really don’t watch the news, huh... total buzzkill."
"He was getting good reactions, and now this happens again."
What are your thoughts?
SEE ALSO: Rookie idol Juwang of Kickflip goes viral for heartwarming gesture at amusement park
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