LE SSERAFIM member Kim Chaewon looked visibly uncomfortable on stage at a university festival, sparking a wave of concern about her health among fans.
On the 15th, a video of LE SSERAFIM performing at Soongsil University spread across social media. In the clip, Kim appeared to touch her neck multiple times while dancing. During head-turning moves, she slowed down and wore a pained expression. Some fans claimed she seemed to push through pain for the entire performance, which quickly escalated into criticism of the group's choreography.
Some fans pointed to the high-intensity headbanging move in 'CELEBRATION' as the main problem. That particular move had already drawn concern online since it was first revealed.
At this university festival, LE SSERAFIM performed a revised choreography that removed the controversial headbanging section. Even so, fans complained, saying, "Did they only change it after Chaewon got hurt?"
As the clip spread rapidly, online criticism grew that the agency should have recognized the issue and acted sooner. Fans said, "We knew something would happen," "A neck disc injury can last a long time," "Honestly, the choreo looks thoughtless," and "Did they ignore the dancers' bodies?" calling for member health and safety to take priority over performance intensity.
Meanwhile, LE SSERAFIM will release their second full album, 'PUREFLOW pt.1,' on the 22nd.