Debate Arises Over Whether (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon Is Sexualizing Minors in Baby Don’t Cry

i-DLE’s Soyeon has sparked a heated debate online after producing a teaser for rookie girl group Baby DONT Cry’s upcoming music video “F Girl.” The teaser has drawn criticism for allegedly sexualizing minors, raising serious concerns among Korean netizens.

The controversy centers on a brief scene where one of Baby DONT Cry’s members, all reportedly born between 2006 and 2008, places a small, square-wrapped item on a convenience store counter. The cashier looks at her, and she unwraps it before putting what looks like candy into her mouth. However, the packaging strongly resembles that of a condom, which many fans and viewers found highly inappropriate given the members’ ages.

This questionable imagery triggered a wave of backlash with netizens questioning the choice behind such a mature and provocative concept for such young idols. The age factor seems to be the main cause of the outrage, as many feel the teaser crosses a clear line.

Here are some of the reactions from Korean netizens:

"What are you doing with someone else’s daughters?"

"This is so outdated… And what are you doing with underage girls? Just like on Twitter, they’ll probably go, ‘Ta-da~ It was satire~’ again."

"Condom??"

"I don’t know who planned this, but all I can say is: lazy. I don’t even want to call them a creator."
"Are we doing the ‘You’re the pervert’ thing again? Ugh."

"Jeon Soyeon has always done this kind of stuff. Then later she glamorizes it, saying she embedded some message or whatever. How many times now?"

"She’s old enough to know that even hinting at that kind of nuance is wrong. There shouldn’t even be this kind of debate when it comes to minors. If this feels like a nude version of I-DLE, they should scrap it now."

"Ehhh, what the heck… was that a condom?"

"If you want to do stuff like that, do it with your own group. Why use rookies who have no say in the concept? The company clearly wanted this, that’s why they gave her the producer role. It probably came from the planning stage. The poor girls are just caught in the middle of these grown-ups."

"This is seriously too much."

"Leave the minors alone."

"‘Shallow’ is the perfect word. It’s so obviously a cheap way to grab attention."

"Please do stuff like this with your own group."

"She’s going to say people who see that as a condom are the weird perverts."

"Why is she telling minors to do something like that?"

"I think this is crossing the line."

"I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that was suggestive of a condom. lol."

"Gosh. I can’t believe the company gave this concept to this group of minors."

"Soyeon… you crossed the line again."

This issue highlights a sensitive topic in the K-pop industry: how to handle young idols in terms of concept and image. The fine line between artistic expression and inappropriate content becomes especially delicate when minors are involved.

The teaser itself has been widely circulated, prompting fans and critics alike to weigh in on whether the creative direction taken was responsible or misguided. While Soyeon has been known for bold concepts, this incident has intensified scrutiny over her choices, especially when it involves rookie groups underage members.

What do you think about the controversy surrounding Baby DONT Cry’s teaser and Soyeon’s involvement? Share your thoughts below.