Singer-actress Son Dam-bi has broken her silence after a hotel-room photo showing her in shoes sparked accusations of "bad manners."
On the 27th, Son posted on her social media, "This is a hotel where you keep your shoes on inside. And they’re brand-new shoes." She added, "What exactly is rude here? Please keep it reasonable. Sorry for the noise," revealing her frustration.
Earlier, Son had shared a photo from a hotel room during her trip to Japan. In it, she sat on the edge of the bed, relaxing while wearing blue sneakers.
The controversy flared because her shoes appeared close to the bedding. Some commenters argued that sitting near the bed with outdoor sneakers was unhygienic. A few even claimed the shoes looked like they were touching the linens, fueling the "bad manners" debate.
Others pushed back, calling the criticism excessive. They noted, "Hotel norms differ—some properties expect guests to keep shoes on indoors," and, "The shoes didn’t even touch the bedding, so the backlash is overblown."
As the debate grew, Son clarified that the hotel in question allows shoes to be worn inside guest rooms. She also stressed that the sneakers were brand-new, saying she couldn’t accept the accusations of poor etiquette.
What started as a simple vacation snapshot quickly snowballed into an online debate. Son attempted to settle the issue by offering both an explanation and an apology.
Meanwhile, Son married former national speed skater Lee Kyou-hyuk in May 2022 and welcomed a daughter in April last year.