Fans Angry Over Lee Yi Kyung’s Flirting with aespa Winter and Underage Celebrity in New Variety Show 'Country Life of Gen-Z'
A recent episode of ENA's new variety show, Country Life of Gen-Z, has sparked controversy after actor Lee Yi Kyung was criticized for his playful comments about shipping aespa's Winter with an underage celebrity.
The new show features a lineup of popular stars, including Lee Yi Kyung, Song Geon Hee, comedian Yang Se Chan, comedian Lee Eun Ji, and actor-singer Jung Dong Won (known as JD1).
The premise revolves around city-dwelling Gen-Z celebrities experiencing life in the countryside. In the first two episodes, fans were thrilled to see special guests Miyeon from (G)I-DLE and Winter from aespa join the cast.
Among those particularly excited was Jung Dong Won, who has openly expressed his admiration for Winter.
However, not all reactions were positive following Episode 2. During a segment where the cast prepared food together, viewers noticed some questionable interactions involving Lee Yi Kyung and the young idol.
In one memorable moment captured on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Dong Won stepped in to assist Winter when she struggled with fish bones. In a lighthearted banner, he requested that production edit out any moments showcasing him looking less than cool while cooking.
"Can we just air the scenes where cut (the fish) confidently?" he joked.
Despite the humorous exchange between Dong Won and Winter- who exhibited sibling-like camaraderie, the real drama unfolded when Lee Yi Kyung took it upon himself to tease the duo further.
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One clip circulating online shows Lee sneaking photos of Dong Won and Winter side-by-side while they prepared their meal. After taking a Polaroid picture of them together, he handed it over to Dong Won while playfully asking if he still liked older women- a reference to both his affection for Winter and their age difference.
Dong Won confirmed his fondness for older women but specifically noted that he finds Winter reliable- a comment that may have been intended as a compliment but did little to quell fan concerns over the implications of such teasing given her status as an underage star.
Critics argue that these interactions cross the line given that they involve a minor. Fans took to social media, expressing their discontent with how Lee Yi Kyung treated both individuals during this segment of Country Life of Gen-Z.
Many voiced their opinions regarding boundaries concerning age differences in relationships portrayed on screen- especially when minors are involved.
As discussions continue online, many are left wondering how this will affect Country Life of Gen-Z and conversations about celebrity culture within K-pop fandoms.
With tensions rising among fans and critics alike, it's clear that what was intended as lighthearted banter has sparked significant backlash and raised important questions about respect and responsibility within entertainment programming aimed at younger audiences.
Viewers await responses from both ENA and its stars regarding this controversy. Fans hope for more respect toward idols like Winter moving forward.
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This article was written by:
Rovelyn Barba