A fan support group for ENHYPEN's Japanese member NI-KI has come under intense criticism after publishing a statement that listed the alleged "controversial" actions of a 26-year-old Japanese fan who died earlier this month while defending the idol against criticism. Many online users accused the group of victim-blaming and inflicting further distress on the deceased's family and supporters.
The controversy follows the death of Mina, a 26-year-old Japanese fan, who died during a livestream at her home in Seoul in the early hours of Aug. 5. The incident reignited debate over comments NI-KI made during a previous livestream.
Livestream remarks spark controversy
The dispute began after Mina attended ENHYPEN's concert in the US and asked member Sunoo to pass a sunflower to NI-KI. The request was declined.
During a subsequent livestream, NI-KI said that some audience members were focused on getting the members' attention instead of genuinely enjoying the concert, adding that he found such behaviour disappointing. Although he did not mention anyone by name, some fans believed the remarks were directed at Mina.
As discussion spread online, large numbers of internet users left critical comments on Mina's social media accounts. She later issued a public apology and announced that she would step down from her role as a fan-site operator. Despite apologizing, she continued to receive insulting and abusive messages before her death during a livestream on Aug. 5.
Lengthy statement draws widespread criticism
After the controversy escalated, a NI-KI fan support account with around 360,000 followers on Instagram published a statement defending the singer, saying he had not targeted any individual.
On Aug. 6, a mainland fan support group posted a lengthy statement on Weibo seeking to distance NI-KI from the incident. The group said NI-KI's livestream on July 30 took place after a concert in Auckland, where he was reminding fans to pay attention to safety following disorder at the venue.
It argued that he had not referred to any specific person and that the remarks were unrelated to the July 26 concert attended by Mina.
However, the statement also listed what it described as Mina's "controversial" behaviour before her death, including allegedly filming throughout the concert instead of watching the performance, looking at her phone during the show, and attempting to obtain interaction with NI-KI by asking another member to deliver a gift. The post included a timeline intended to argue that the online harassment stemmed from overseas fans amplifying the controversy.
Although the statement ended with a disclaimer, it was widely criticized online as an attempt to absolve the idol of responsibility. Critics accused the fan group of showing a lack of compassion, blaming the victim, and causing secondary harm to the deceased. The post was later deleted following the backlash.
Second statement says fans also targeted
After deleting the original post, the fan support group issued another statement on Weibo, saying it was deeply saddened by Mina's death. It also said its private messages had been flooded with abuse and personal threats, while some ordinary fans had been subjected to doxxing and the disclosure of private information.
The group said the vast majority of fans had followed the group rationally and had not participated in extremist remarks. It urged people to stop directing anger at uninvolved individuals and called for an end to the leaking of personal information.
Online reaction to the second statement was divided. Some users said ordinary fans should not be subjected to indiscriminate attacks, while many others questioned why the group first released a statement defending the idol before expressing sympathy over Mina's death. Others called for public attention to return to the issue of online harassment rather than mutual accusations.
As of now, neither NI-KI nor his agency, HYBE, has publicly commented on the incident. South Korean police said the investigation is ongoing and that Mina's death cannot currently be attributed to NI-KI or to any single incident.
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