The news of KATSEYE's Manon going on hiatus is currently a trending topic among netizens.
On February 20, KATSEYE's label HYBE x Geffen announced that Manon would be going on hiatus for 'health and wellbeing' reasons. The news took fans by surprise - and many were even more surprised when shortly after, Manon posted a personal clarification that seemingly contradicted HYBE's explanation.
According to Manon, she is currently 'healthy' and 'taking care of herself.' She also seemingly implied there were bigger reasons for her hiatus - even mentioning 'things unfolding in ways we can't control.'
With two contradicting explanations given for Manon's hiatus, speculation quickly erupted across social media. While many felt that Manon's use of the phrase 'I'm healthy' was simply a figure of speech, others felt she was trying to convey that her hiatus wasn't really for health reasons.
Similarly to international fans, K-netizens were also quick to notice the differences between HYBE's official statement and Manon's personal clarification. The subject has been a trending topic across popular discussion forums today, with many K-netizens sharing mixed reactions to Manon's hiatus - and speculating about the true reason for her break.
"It almost seems like she's about to leave the group..."
"Her personal letter definitely makes it seem like she's going to leave"
"I thought she was just taking a temporary break. But why does her personal message make it sound like she's leaving permanently?"
"What's going on? Her message is a lot different than HYBE's statement"
"I'm so sick of this happening, lol. Foreigners seem to have a very difficult time keeping girl groups together"
"The same thing happened with Camila Cabello and Zayn Malik"
"But KATSEYE had an intense North America tour last fall and winter, and after taking a two-week vacation at the end of the year, they were already back to their usual schedules. It's possible for their physical or mental health to suffer during all that"
"She's probably not even sick, she just wants to leave the group"
"She's definitely leaving ㅋㅋ She'll probably debut solo in a year or two, like Wonder Girls' Sunmi"
"Her message feels like a letter that's been written some time after an idol has already left the group. The wording is really..."
"Her talking about 'the big picture,' it really doesn't feel like she's just resting and planning to come back"
"KATSEYE seems like a group that can't be easily controlled"
"Please don't leave... Please let KATSEYE stay together until the end of the contract... ㅜㅜ"
"Huh, reading her letter, it really seems like she doesn't want to be in the group anymore...? What the heck?"
"KATSEYE always seems to have such great benefits for a girl group: they already live separately, get to visit their hometowns often, have doctors with them, and can rest right away when they're sick... Still, I guess it's hard to maintain a group"
"She probably just doesn't want to be in the group anymore"
"But considering what happened to NewJeans, it seems like Manon won't just be able to leave so easily.."
SEE ALSO: KATSEYE's Manon draws attention after liking Instagram post about "racism and label mistreatment"
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