Jihyo Is the Most Problematic Member of TWICE, According to Fans and Critics

K-pop is quickly growing in popularity in the United States, with bands like TWICE, BTS, and BLACKPINK gaining legions of followers worldwide. TWICE currently enjoys its top spot as a K-pop girl group to watch out for, but fans are concerned that one of its members might be more problematic than the others.

K-pop group TWICE has nine members

K-pop groups usually comprise several members, and TWICE is no exception. The group consists of nine members: Nayeon, Jihyo, Momo, Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Sana, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu.

TWICE started when JYP Entertainment announced it would unveil a new girl group in 2014. The company announced that the girl group would involve seven members chosen through a survival competition show called SIXTEEN. The show aired for almost two months. In the end, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Jihyo, Sana, and Mina received spots in TWICE.

The company then announced it planned to increase the members to nine, bringing in Tzuyu, a popular contestant. The company president, J.Y. Park, added Momo as he felt the group would benefit more from her skills. The decision led to outrage. Fans complained about the unfairness of eliminated contestants returning to the group.

Park chose the name TWICE, saying the group will touch people through their ears and eyes. The girl group debuted in 2015 with the EP The Story Begins. TWICE experienced a lukewarm reception with their EP debuting in fourth place on the Gaon Album Chart.

In 2016, the group released a second EP, Page Two, which included their hit single “Cheer Up.” The EP became a commercial success debuting at No. 2 on the Gaon Album Chart as well as the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100. The group has experienced success with many of their songs, including “TT,” “The Feels,” and “Like Ooh-Aah.” The latter’s music video helped the group make history as it reached 100 million views on YouTube.

Fans think Jihyo is the most problematic member of TWICE

Recently, Jihyo found herself knee-deep in controversy, leading fans to brand her the most problematic TWICE member. As a public figure, Jihyo isn’t immune to criticism, which she revealed she deals with daily.

A Quora user asked others which member they considered the group’s most problematic. They offered some examples that might justify Jihyo’s title. In one of the examples, the fan noted the Halloween costume where Jihyo performed in full Native American regalia and introduced herself as Indian Jihyo.

The user had an issue with the getup, calling her out for the tone-deaf costume. The fan also commented that the “Feel Special” singer did nothing to amend the situation despite the backlash. Another scenario fans brought up was the VLive Chat controversy when people called out the K-pop idol for what many considered racist.

In the live, Jihyo appears to warn her fellow participant not to “get too tanned.” However, some refute the issue, saying she was reading a comment on the chat.

Jihyo was falsely implicated in a K-pop sex scandal Twice members Sana (L) and Jihyo | The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

In 2019, as BBC reports, a sex scandal occurred involving disgraced K-pop star Jung Joon-young filming and distributing sex videos and pictures of women in a group chat. The rumors at the time indicated that Jihyo was one of the women Joon-young filmed, a rumor that threatened to tank the singer’s career.

According to Today Online, the scandal gave the talented singer a lot of anxiety and depression. She experienced difficulty meeting new people. Jihyo’s alleged involvement in the scandal proved to be a rumor. Her managing company JYP threatened legal action against those who bring up her name in the scandal. 

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