“Problematic” Idol Back On The Chopping Block Over His Attitude In A Sunbae Idol’s Challenge

For K-Pop idols, dance challenges have become part of the job. A few seconds of choreography can become a wholesome interaction between groups, a viral promotional moment, or, in some cases, an unexpected controversy. This time, BOYNEXTDOOR’s Leehan is under scrutiny.

A recent tweet has drawn attention for calling out Leehan for his appearance in a dance challenge alongside EPEX’s Baekseung. The original post included the clip in question, along with other BOYNEXTDOOR challenge videos for comparison, and the poster claimed that his energy in the “Echo” challenge seemed noticeably different.

In the viral clip, Leehan and Baekseung are seen filming a short-form dance challenge together. While Baekseung performs the choreography with bright energy and clear movements, Leehan’s facial expressions and movements quickly became the focus of netizen criticism.

Many felt that Leehan looked uninterested, with some accusing him of appearing not to want to participate at all. Others pointed out that dance challenges are usually filmed for promotional purposes, especially when one artist helps another promote a comeback or a song.

[📹]#BOYNEXTDOOR #이한 님과 We need an echo, echo, echo, echo, echo 🔉@BOYNEXTDOOR_KOZ

Shorts 🔗 https://t.co/y2A5LbpPp8
TikTok 🔗 https://t.co/mLF5oJihNP
Reels 🔗 #이펙스 #ECHO #에코 #ECHOChallenge #위시 #뮤 #아민 #백승 #에이든 #예왕 #제프

— EPEX Official (@the_EPEX) June 28, 2026

The criticism grew stronger as netizens noted that EPEX debuted in 2021, while BOYNEXTDOOR debuted in 2023, making Baekseung Leehan’s sunbae in the industry. Because of that, some felt Leehan’s allegedly low-effort attitude came across as even more disrespectful.

선배 그룹 챌린지 이렇게까지 동태로 하는 새끼 처음 봄 pic.twitter.com/FnqZISK1Vm

— 설화 (@seolhwa__I__) June 28, 2026

I’ve never seen someone look this dead-eyed while doing a sunbae group’s challenge before.

— @seolhwa__I__/X

The clip also led netizens to compare Leehan’s participation in Baekseung’s challenge with other challenge videos involving BOYNEXTDOOR members. According to the original post, the difference in energy stood out, causing more people to question why Leehan appeared less engaged in this particular video.

For many Korean netizens, the issue was not simply about whether the choreography was perfectly executed. Rather, the criticism centered on attitude, effort, and basic courtesy when appearing in another idol’s promotional content.

• I started getting interested in the group because I liked their new song, but this person is such a barrier to stanning… I was already having a hard time looking past the “your dad’s prime” thing, but I guess people really don’t change.
• Is the one on the left Baekseung? He’s handsome.
• Oh… He really looks like he doesn’t want to do it.
• I’m getting offended on Baekseung’s behalf.
• EPEX debuted in 2021. BOYNEXTDOOR debuted in 2023. The one on the left is the sunbae…
• Oh, he’s completely dead-eyed.
• Wow, but the one on the right has a really big head.
• Even seniors who have been debuted for over 10 years dance hard with big smiles, so don’t act like this already…
• I won’t see you out.
• Wow, the people clipping it and making GIFs must have been so annoyed too.
• All the other members filmed it diligently, so what is he doing…
• Baekseung! His arms are really long and he’s handsome. I’m learning about him.
• Is he a robot? If he doesn’t want to do it, then don’t. Why does his face look like that?

The latest backlash also reminded netizens of a previous incident involving BOYNEXTDOOR during another group’s promotional segment. At the time, Jaehyun came under fire for chanting his real name, “Kim Donghyun,” while Hearts2Hearts were introducing their comeback and doing a challenge with Leehan. Although Leehan was not the main person criticized in that incident, some netizens brought it up again while discussing the group’s repeated attitude-related controversies.

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