BTS member Jungkook has set off frenzied online debate after breaking his social media silence with the simple reposting of RM’s photo of ramen, a move that has left many fans "frustrated and disappointed" amid escalating rumours of a relationship with aespa’s Winter.
Despite months of speculations linking the two idols, and even fanned by alleged ‘hints’ like similar handles on Instagram, Jungkook had maintained a conspicuous silence. On December 9, his sudden post featuring a large bowl of ramen originally posted by RM immediately incurred one-sided criticism. There was no caption or comment from the idol to address the swirling controversy.
The timing felt "inappropriate" and "incredibly careless" to a significant section of the fandom. One user on social media said, "So his first communication after the fan-deception scandal is a ramen repost? Some fans are now directing their anger towards RM." Yet another user felt the move was "pushing fans to leave the fandom," citing a "cold attitude."
The criticism was deeply rooted in the thought that even if not quashing the rumors on dating, Jungkook should have used a platform like WeVerse to talk with fans directly and express disappointment for what many perceived as a lack of consideration. "He just reposted a ramen picture without a single word," one commenter noted.
Backlash vs. boundaries
The backlash only grew stronger, and it was met with a fierce counter-wave of supporters who firmly believed that the Golden Maknae was entitled to his personal boundaries and privacy.
"Isn’t Jungkook a veteran idol? How long does he have to be concerned about the opinions of fans in regards to his dating life?" one supporter said. Another added, "Telling idols not to date is something you say to rookies. Everyone, just leave them alone."
The whole episode is a replay of the eternal tussle between celebrity privacy and fan expectations, which is made worse by the fact that rumour mills have created a link between Jungkook and Winter, who uses ‘imwinter’ as her handle on Instagram, while that of Jungkook is ‘ImJungkook’ until he changed it to ‘mni’, viewed as similar to Winter’s Korean name, Minjung. At any rate, the ramen repost has joined the fray rather than settling the storm.
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