A new “Rosé and Jennie Challenge” has emerged in response to the “Suga Challenge.” This development follows rumors that BLACKPINK’s fanbase, BLINK, created the “Suga Challenge” in an attempt to tarnish the reputation of BTS and their fandom. This has led to a wave of criticism and attacks directed at BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Jennie.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a fanbase has created false rumors or attacked other artists to defend their favorite ones.
On August 12, BTS fans (known as ARMY) began claiming that the “Suga Challenge,” which involved defending BTS member Suga’s alleged drunk driving on an electric scooter, was actually fabricated by BLACKPINK’s fanbase to damage BTS’s reputation.
In retaliation, some international ARMYs started the “Rosé Challenge” and “Jennie Challenge,” which involved sharing manipulated images depicting Rosé as a drug user and posting inappropriate and sexualized images related to Jennie. These posts quickly gained traction, with some accumulating as many as 940,000 views.
This incident isn’t the first time that aggressive international ARMYs have targeted BLACKPINK members.
In December 2021, BTS members opened individual Instagram accounts for the first time after eight years since their debut. When member V accidentally followed Jennie’s Instagram account, it caused a stir among fans. At the time, V was only following the six other BTS members and their official account, so when he suddenly followed Jennie, it drew attention. V later indirectly addressed the issue on the fan community Weverse, stating, “Is there a way to get rid of the SNS recommendations? This is a scary app,” suggesting that the follow was a mistake.
However, some international fans aggressively targeted Jennie’s Instagram, filling her posts with vomit emojis and the hashtag #FREETAE (Free Tae, referring to V) while demanding to know the nature of their relationship.
Ha Jae-geun, a popular culture critic, analyzed this situation, noting that such attacks by international K-pop fanbases on other artists stem from cultural differences between domestic and international fan communities.
He explained, “In Korea, there is an unwritten rule within fanbases not to mention other artists.” He further stated, “Due to the nature of fanbases, supporting one’s favorite artist can sometimes lead to aggressive behavior towards others. In Korea, there was severe fanbase conflict during the early days of idol culture, which led to an implicit agreement to avoid mentioning other artists. However, this culture hasn’t been established overseas, so situations that would be unlikely in Korea can occur abroad.”
He also cautioned against jumping to conclusions, saying, “It’s difficult to confirm whether BLACKPINK fans truly created the ‘Suga Challenge,’ so it’s premature to blame BLINKs for this incident. Even if they were involved, it’s clearly wrong for international ARMYs to respond by spreading false claims and attacking BLACKPINK.”
When comparing domestic and international fanbases, international fans are more likely to criticize other artists to support their favorites. This phenomenon isn’t limited to idol fandoms but extends to other areas of entertainment as well.
Actresses Jeon So min and Ji Ye-eun, who appeared on SBS’s “Running Man”, have also suffered due to hostile international fanbases. Some international “Running Man” fans, who wanted the original cast to remain unchanged, harshly criticized Jeon So-min when she joined the show, insisting that the only female member should be Song Ji-hyo. They flooded her posts with negative comments, and similar treatment has been directed at Ji Ye-eun after Jeon So-min’s departure, with fans only supporting the chemistry of the existing members and rejecting new ones.
It’s important to recognize that criticizing other artists is not a way to protect one’s favorite artist. Such behavior only harms both the favored artist and the target of the attacks.
This issue should not be dismissed as merely a cultural difference between domestic and international fanbases.
Just as the domestic fanbase has worked towards self-regulation in the past, it is now urgent for international fanbases to do the same.
