Recent events have stirred controversy in the K-Pop community, as Korean netizens express their dissatisfaction with SBS’s music program, Inkigayo, for its alleged unfair treatment of SM Entertainment girl group Red Velvet.
Red Velvet during their “Inkigayo” prerecording. | @RVsmtown/Twitter
The issue arose after Red Velvet’s performance of their most recent hit, “Chill Kill,” on Inkigayo. Traditionally, SBS releases individual fancams and facecams for each member of performing groups. These videos — focusing on each individual member — showcase their dance moves and expressions and often attract millions of views, sometimes even more than the group performances.
Fans have raised concerns over the noticeable difference in the quality of the thumbnail images used for Red Velvet’s videos compared to those of other groups from the same episode. A viral post on the online platform Pann Nate, which has amassed over 100,000 views and 350 comments, criticizes SBS for the subpar quality of Red Velvet’s thumbnails.
| Pann
Netizens have pointed out that the thumbnails for Red Velvet appear unedited, low in definition, and seemingly chosen at random.
| Pann
In stark contrast, thumbnails for other groups such as aespa, ZEROBASEONE, and Stray Kids are edited, enhanced, and in high definition.
| Pann
This discrepancy has not gone unnoticed, with fans arguing that such negligence can affect viewership, as potential viewers might skip over videos with less appealing thumbnails.
Meanwhile, Irene’s “Music Core” thumbnail and fancam have gone viral with more than 114,000 views. | MBCkpop/YouTube
Fans also noted that despite the thumbnail quality, Irene’s fancam has become one of the most viewed from the show — indicating the group’s strong appeal and fanbase. However, comments from the Pann post reveal a broader discontent, with accusations that the production team did not put in the necessary effort for Red Velvet.
Fans are quoted expressing disbelief and disappointment, with some humorously suggesting that an anti-fan of Red Velvet might have been behind the poor quality of the thumbnails.
“SBS really, really can’t do that to Red Velvet.” “I didn’t think much of it until I saw it all gathered like this. They noticeably didn’t put in effort into Red Velvet’s..;;”
“The difference is freakin’ ridiculous, lol. Did Red Velvet’s anti-fans make the thumbnails?” “They really just roughly put it together.” “But Irene is the prettiest.” “Wow, I didn’t know, but seeing it like this, it’s true… The other groups look bright and milky, and their expressions are during pretty moments, but only Red Velvet’s video capture is just as it is. It’s like they captured it blindfolded.”
As netizens continue to voice their concerns, this controversy serves as a reminder of the fans’ expectations for fairness between all groups.
“The difference is freakin’ ridiculous, lol.”