RIIZE: 5 Controversies And Criticisms That Unfairly Cast A Shadow On The Group’s Debut

From the initial announcement of SM Entertainment‘s newest boy group, RIIZE, multiple controversies and criticisms have been leveled towards the group, unfairly casting a shadow on them before their debut.

Here are 5 of those instances.

1. Couple Images

Fans rushed to the defense of member Seunghan after photos of what appeared to be couple photos of the idol and an unknown woman surfaced.

신인이 가지가지 하는구나 pic.twitter.com/TAYC7xtyjD

— 뽀송이???? (@BBOSONGEEEEE) August 27, 2023

K-netizens reacted strongly to the initial photos, immediately sharing their disapproval in online forums. Even after his recent apology, netizens had mixed feelings toward the idol, with many in favor of expelling him from the group.

• “So SM is basically saying they’re going to keep him. What can we do”
• “What?? He’s not leaving???”
• “She wasn’t underage, so why is he apologizing..? wth…”
• “I think it’ll be better to just kick him out.. He stood out to me because he was my type, but now, whenever I see him, I only see that photo. This was too big of an issue for a newly debuted idol to carry on with.”
• “Wth… If you’re gonna ignore it, just straight out ignore it. If you’re going to write an apology letter, clarify if she was underage or not.”
• “Kids like him are always gonna cause trouble againㅋㅋ”
• “Leave the group”

2. Pre-Debut Favoritism

On August 15, it was first teased that RIIZE were the newest models for the brand MUSINSA.

????????????
GUESS WHO pic.twitter.com/6gMiuOvICK

— musinsa.official (@musinsaofficial) August 15, 2023

Many found an issue with the fact that the pre-debut group were given unfair privileges regarding brand deals and other opportunities. This has often been a complaint as many groups under the “Big Four” companies are given similar advantages.

3. Plastic Surgery Allegations

Member Wonbin was the victim of plastic surgery allegations after past photos of the artist surfaced.

Many netizens accused the RIIZE member of undergoing plastic surgery, though it would have been a personal choice even if he did.

• “His eye surgery went very well. Please tell me which hospital he went to, ㅠㅠ.”
• “I am sure he was ‘taken care of’ before his debut. If not, so be it, but isn’t it rarer to find someone who hasn’t had surgery?”
• “Wow, how can someone look so different? Can you tell me (which hospital he went to) too?”
• “Tell me where he got his eye done.”
• “Seriously, someone tell me the hospital he went to.”

4. “Unfavorable” Past Photos

On August 1, photos of Sohee were shared online, showing the idol at an alleged “Hunting Pocha.” Hunting Pochas are bars where people go specifically to hook up.

Another photo of the member shows him posing with friends in front of the school. The image was posted to Sohee’s Instagram account with a caption that had explicitives.

At our f@cking starting place.

— Sohee

Netizens reacted negatively to these photos, saying the artist’s past turned them off from him.

5. Vocal Criticisms

During RIIZE’s appearance on NPOP, Sohee covered No Yoon Kwon‘s renowned ballad “If It Was Me,” a song known for its outstanding vocals. After netizens saw the video of his performance, many were left unimpressed by the RIIZE member.

Sohee showed his beautiful voice at #NPOP today
so proud of our precious boy#RIIZE #라이즈#SOHEE #소희 pic.twitter.com/MHhiGfmy1B

— Heeppori (@Heeppori03) August 29, 2023

Netizens left comments expressing confusion over Sohee’s position as main vocal.

• “There must really be no available talents these days….”
• “There are a lot of performance-based idols^^ these days who can’t sing. In general, it’s the truth that our expectations for vocals are low.”
• “I thought he was main vocalist????????”
• “He’s the main vocalist..?”
• “I guess the talent in the male side has dried up these days.”
• “They never said he’s the main vocalist, so why is everyone talking about him being the main vocalist?”
• “He’s the main vocalist?”
• “Maybe I expected too much?”

Hopefully, RIIZE’s debut will go smoothly, allowing the talented group to show off all that they have worked for.