Female Idol Faces Massive Backlash For Being Friendly With One Of The “Burning Sun” Men

A female idol and actress revealed her nearly 10-year friendship with a singer, sparking backlash due to the singer’s involvement with the Burning Sun scandal and turning the comment section on the idol’s YouTube channel into a heated debate.

On September 25th, Ahn Sohee, originally from the group Wonder Girls, uploaded a video titled “Shopping and Cafe Outing with Roy Kim, My Friend of 10 Years, in Hannam-dong.” The two shopped and visited a cafe in Hannam-dong, sharing stories about their tastes and concerns.

What was especially new to the public was their long-standing relationship. Ahn Sohee said, “People don’t know that we’re friends,” adding, “It’s been almost 10 years.” Roy Kim also said, “It’s nearly 10 years.” They first met in the United States.

Their closeness was evident throughout the video. Roy Kim revealed he consistently attended Ahn Sohee’s performances, even catching her most recent show, while Ahn recalled that when they first met, Roy Kim wore a flashy knit worth about ₩3.00 million KRW (about $2,210 USD).

At a cafe, Roy Kim gifted Ahn Sohee wine, and they promised to make content together about drinking wine next time. Toward the end of the video, Ahn supported Roy Kim’s new album and performance, and Roy Kim expressed gratitude, saying, “You only say good things about me, so in my own way, this feels healing.”

However, the video also triggered unexpected responses. In 2019, Roy Kim was investigated for distributing obscene materials amid the so-called “Jung Joon Young chatroom” scandal but later received a suspension of indictment.

As of the 27th, the comments reflected mixed feelings—some welcoming their friendship, others mentioning Roy Kim’s past controversies and expressing disappointment toward Ahn Sohee.

Comments included, “Why do I have to see Roy Kim, Jung Joon Young’s friend, on Sohee’s YouTube?”, “I was a longtime fan but see him differently now,” “I’ve subscribed since Sohee’s channel opened but I’m disappointed and unsubscribing,” and “If a guest is here and there’s bad language, of course comments get deleted.”

Meanwhile, there was considerable pushback against excessive criticism of Roy Kim. Some comments read, “It’s not friendship to boast about or freeze like that, what is this?”, “I didn’t want to know about a 10-year best friend,” countered by remarks defending the content against accusations labeling it “content with friends of Jung Joon Young and Seungri.”

The comment section turned into a battleground of opinions. Related reports that day noted simultaneous reactions of disappointment and threats to unsubscribe alongside defenses from Roy Kim’s fans.

Ultimately, the video revealing their unexpected decade-long friendship attracted more attention for the heated comment disputes than for its original content. Positive responses also appeared immediately after the release, such as “Unexpected duo but great chemistry,” and “You can really tell they care about each other.” These mixed perceptions of their friendship are expected to continue for some time.