SEVENTEEN’s Vernon is at the center of online controversy after he was spotted liking a post that appeared to mock Korean men.
Recently, some netizens discovered that Vernon’s social media account had tapped “like” on a post said to ridicule Korean men.
The post he liked listed three speech habits the author found off-putting in so-called Korean male mannerisms: replying with “Ye?” (a curt “Huh?”/“Pardon?”) when they hear something odd, using “eom” as a filler interjection like “um,” and repeating “aniyo” (“no”) multiple times within a single sentence.
Some fans reacted positively, seeing it as a male idol taking a stance against toxic masculinity and the male-centric culture that reinforces it. They left comments such as “It’s funny that Vernon liked the post in the first place.”
Others pushed back, leaving remarks like “Vernon…” and “Why would you like something like that?” With room for different interpretations of the expressions in question, debate over Vernon’s SNS activity continues.
Meanwhile, Vernon, who holds dual citizenship in South Korea and the United States, recently formed the unit V8 with fellow SEVENTEEN member THE 8.