Popular HYBE Boy Group’s Alleged Anti-Korean Sentiment Remarks Spark Fury

Fans were furious.

Recently, a video clip of &TEAM’s K, Yuma, and Jo sparked controversy online.

The three Japanese members mentioned a time when Korean member EJ ate food in the car.

지들끼리 기무치가 좀www 이지랄하고 빠개는거 독도킥 존나 날리고싶네 https://t.co/iYlVOR2Nl9 pic.twitter.com/chlGuRTixO

— a (@we23jflsjfdlk3) May 26, 2026

Yuma: Last time, EJ ate gyudong with kimchi on top of it while in a car packed with people.

Jo: That was too much.

Yuma: Plus, it was morning.

Jo: Wow, the morning.

Yuma: It was a bit hard. He did ask once if it was okay to eat it. That was fine, but the smell was stronger than I thought.

K: With kimchi, you can tell the mell right away inside a car. This is funny, so this was the story. I would’ve hated it if it were in the morning.

This caused quite a controversy online, with many fans claiming it was anti-Korean sentiment.

물어보고 괜찮다해서 뭔 청국장도 아니고 김치규동 하나 먹은걸로 이제와서 음침하게 냄새 별로였다 하는 애나 절대 싫다고 맞장구치면서 김치 냄새가 좀 그렇지 하는 애나 말은 맨날 글로벌그룹이라면서 문화적 존중이라곤 좆도 없는 이딴말하는건 그냥 한혐이죠…

— vveno (@itsmywayoungboi) May 26, 2026

They are the ones who said it was ok, and it wasn’t like it was fermented soybean, but just kimchi gyudong, and yet they are saying the smell was so bad now and agreeing that the kimchi smelled so bad…shouldn’t they be more respectful of cultures if they are a global group? This is just flat-out anti-Korean sentiment if you ask me.

아니 근데 진심 뭐 김치냉장고에서 김치통 꺼내와서 실은 것도 아니고 김치규동ㅋㅋ인데에다 괜찮냐고 물어보기까지 했다는데 다수가 듣는 라디오 방송에서 사실 좀 냄새났음ㅋㅋ 이러면 이지메고 혐한이죠

— 광딸기 (@gwangddagi) May 26, 2026

It’s not like he took out a kimchi container from the kimchi fridge…it was just kimchi gyudong. He even asked it if was ok, and yet they are saying it smelled bad on a radio show..this is anti-Korean sentiment.

국적 다른 멤버들이 둘이나 있는데 차별적인 발언이 될 수 있으니 입놀리기전에 생각하고 조심해야 하는건 회사에서 안 가르쳐 주는건지 그 정도까지 생각하지 못하는 쪽바리능지인건지 알면서도 음침하게 쳐구는 쪽국 종특인건지

— 광딸기 (@gwangddagi) May 26, 2026

They have two members of different nationalities… they should really think before they open their mouths. Does the company not teach them any of this? Is not being able to think that far just part of being Japanese?

그동안 한국음식이랑 김치찜은 냄새나서 어떻게 드셨대? https://t.co/KoZljuKo61

— の (@yamazarashii) May 26, 2026

I wonder then how you guys ate Korean food and kimchi jjim all this time?