RIIZE Member Hit With Immediate Backlash After Unsavory Past Photos Are Exposed

RIIZE member Sohee is facing backlash after his past photos surfaced.

Sohee | Nate

On August 1, a post titled “Past Photos Of SM Rookie That Is Turning Off A Lot Of People” went viral.

In the posts, several alleged photos of RIIZE’s member Sohee were uploaded. In one photo, the member is with a friend at an alleged “Hunting Pocha.”

Hunting Pochas are bars where people go specifically to hook up. The author of the post writes that the photo was taken at a Hunting Pocha in Joongang-dong called Glam. In a now-deleted tweet, a netizen posts a photo of the alleged place.

#라이즈 #소희 이정도면 양심?…이 아니라 걍 생각이 제로인거아닌가 (제로즈) 과거가 더러우면
알아서 데뷔를 안햇어야하는게 아닌가?#우리의씨발점에서 pic.twitter.com/NbjOsx74Sp

— 쟌텐녀 (@im1ohnny) July 31, 2023

If it is this bad, not only does he not have a conscience, he doesn’t have a brain. If your past is dirty, you should have excluded yourself from debuting.

— @im1ohnny/Twitter

Netizens also noticed Sohee’s friend has a tattoo on his leg. In the photo, the friend’s tattoo pokes out under his jeans. Netizens saw the tattoo resemble the Irezumi style, which in Korea, is often worn by gangsters.

Unrelated Irezumi style tattoo for illustration | Pinterst

In another photo, Sohee is seen posing with friends in front of an elementary school. The photo, which is now deleted, was allegedly uploaded to Sohee’s Instagram and was captioned with expletives.

At our f@cking starting place.

— Sohee

Netizens reacted to the photos saying they were turned off by the idol’s past.

• “This guy still has a lot more to expose, LOL.”
• “I’m not criticizing him, but he seems like a normal Korean guy in his 20s… And not an idol.”
• “To be honest, this is a turn-off, LOL. If he was my bias, I’d pretend not to see it and stay away from online communities for a bit.”
• “It has started, LOL.”
• “Oh, isn’t he that guy going viral on Twitter? There was a clip of him taken at a club.”
• “Turn-off.”
• “It’s a turn-off.”
• “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a role model in his past. I just hope he didn’t bully anyone at school.”

• “Idols are in the business of selling fantasies. Of course, it is a turn-off if you act like everyone else, LOL. Why do we like idols? We’d like the guy walking down the street if we were into that.”
• “It isn’t wrong that an adult goes to a Hunting Pocha. But since he’s an idol now, it is a turn-off.”
• “Even non-celebrities who go to Hungting Pochas are a turn-off, so it makes sense it is controversial if an idol goes to one.”
• “I don’t even want to associate myself with a guy who goes to a Hunting Pocha, so why would I spend money to stan one?”
• “He does have the face of a low-life thug, LOL.”
• “It is icky that he went to a Hunting Pocha, but he’s an adult. There are idols who have done worse.”
• “LOL.”
• “He goes to a Hunting Pocha and curses on his Instagram, wow. LOL.

Meanwhile, SM Entertainment just released the visuals of RIIZE’s members. Read more about them in the link below.

SM Entertainment Finally Unveils All Seven Members Of Their New Boy Group, RIIZE