Top Idol Calls Himself “The N-Word” In Now-Deleted Message, Sparking Criticism

RIIZE’s Eunseok is being accused of using a racist term in a now-deleted post.

May 5th marked Children’s Day in Korea, and usually idols share images of themselves as kids.

Eunseok did just this sharing cute photos of himself when he was younger on a fan chatting platform.

Along with these photos, Eunseok included a message describing the photos as “kkamdungie/kkamdoongi Eunseok.”

The term “kkamdoongie” is an offensive slang, often used to degrade people with darker skin. It’s been compared to the n-slur in the English language.

As a result, Eunseok has been hit with criticism by many, accusing him of racism.

this should not be swept under the rug idc if he deleted it fast he shouldnt even have the word running around in his head??? a whole grown adult. remember that. i hope he thinks abt it and apologizes sincerely because this is ridiculous its 2026

— sogi biscuit (@xosogi) May 5, 2026

what drives me nuts in any capacity is thinking that you can delete something to simply make it go away. as someone with a large fanbase and therefore some capacity of influence, your words are immortalized online. you will be held accountable regardless

— lila (@chickenstrip35) May 5, 2026

aint no way bruh😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Dzwk8vuNgI

— eli. (@byeolique) May 5, 2026

Some have stated that it is just an outdated word and that he didn’t use it with racist intentions.

Just to add context: the word Eunseok used (“kkamdungi”) is an old Korean term that can refer to being very tan/dark, especially in childhood. It can be considered outdated or insensitive depending on context, but it’s also commonly used in Korea in a self-referential way without…

— ･ﾟ⋆ (@rz_glow_) May 5, 2026

Still, others point out social experiment videos where average Korean’s have big reactions to the usage of the word, with some even agreeing it is like the n-word.

whether it’s real or fake, the fact that i’m seeing people try to justify it or come up with ‘reasons’ why that word isn’t bad talking about how “people make mistakes” really shows how some of y’all genuinely don’t give a fuck about black people do your fucking research bruh 😭 pic.twitter.com/E9iK952aHA

— eli. (@byeolique) May 5, 2026

As of writing, Eunseok has not officially addressed the situation.