A heated debate is exploding over whether RESCENE member Woni’s use of “museopno” (Gyeongsang dialect for “that’s scary”) is simply regional speech or tainted by online hate-speech culture. What began as a brief exchange in a YouTube video has snowballed from fan arguments into academic interpretations and even a political tug-of-war.
The disputed moment came in a recent video on Woni’s YouTube channel. While visiting Japanese member Minami’s family home, Woni stepped into a dark room. When the on-site PD said, “Museopno,” Woni echoed, “Museopno. Even the lighting is scary.”
Woni, who is from Geoje in South Gyeongsang Province, has long charmed viewers with her natural Gyeongsang satoori. But the issue escalated after MBC Gyeongnam PD Kim Hyun-ji—who directed the documentary film Adult Kim Jang-ha—publicly questioned the usage. On July 1, Kim wrote on her social media that she was “upset to see a female idol and a PD cheerfully tossing around ‘no-no,’” arguing the expression doesn’t align with standard Gyeongsang grammar.
When fans and some netizens pushed back, calling it “ordinary Gyeongsang dialect,” Kim elaborated. She said she wasn’t trying to brand all users as members of a particular online community, but expressed concern that the grammatically off “no” ending is spreading naturally among younger people. She added, “When you learn a phrase has roots in hate speech, what you choose to do becomes a matter of attitude,” suggesting Gyeongsang speakers should reflect on it.
Others blasted the backlash as excessive dialect policing. Some argued it’s unfair that authentic regional speech is now viewed with suspicion because certain online communities distorted the expression. Noting that Woni is from Geoje, critics said it’s a stretch to immediately label her remark as hate speech.
Beyond a simple wording dispute, the controversy now reflects a collision between regional dialects, online hate-speech culture, and generational language sensibilities. Opinions remain sharply divided on whether Woni’s remark was intentional hate speech or just natural satoori.