Kim Chaeyeon from tripleS is facing backlash for using a misogynistic slang term in a recent fan interaction.
Chaeyeon used the term “Yeonakkang” while talking about her groupmate JooBin’s performance, sparking controversy.
The term, originating from male-dominated online forums, implies that women lose all sexual appeal and value after their 20s. It combines the Korean words for woman (Yeoja), age (Nai), and gangster (Kkangpae), meaning "a woman’s age is everything."
Chaeyeon also said she had to explain the term’s meaning to her makeup artist.
I saw JooBin’s ending.
Wow…Yeonakkang.
As expected, being young is nice.
That’s what I thought.
— ChaeyeonBut then my makeup artist who was next to me went, ‘What’s Yeonakkang?’
And I said ‘A woman’s age is everything.’
It’s kind of everything to me too…
Even though I have been slowly moving away from that mentality.
— Chaeyeon
Netizens expressed shock and concern over her use of the term, especially since Chaeyeon is only 20 and has a predominantly male fanbase. They worry this mindset could affect her and her fans long-term.
Comments include:
- “I think it’s because she grew up hearing that kind of comment as if it were a compliment since she was little. It hurts my heart.”
- “A female idol is using ‘Yeonak-kkang’? LOL. So she’ll be a has-been at 30, huh? Then is she going to retire?”
- “I hope her female fans help her understand things better…”
- “On male-dominated forums, they say a woman’s age is like a Christmas cake — so I guess you have to retire after 25. Does she have about 4 years left?”
Meanwhile, another tripleS member recently sparked backlash for controversial political opinions.
