KATSEYE member Manon is facing online backlash over resurfaced comments and her Instagram highlights. Korean netizens accuse her of stereotyping Asians.
A clip from a past livestream has resurfaced in which Manon described meeting someone at the HYBE building and initially assuming it was BTS member J-Hope before laughing about the mix-up.
Netizens also pointed to her Instagram highlights for a trip to Korea. The cover image for the “KR” highlight shows “That Luang Festival of Luang Prabang” by Sompaseuth Chounlamany, a painting depicting a festival in Laos.
Several Korean users called the choice disrespectful and accused Manon of treating Asian countries as interchangeable. Others defended her, noting that other highlights also use mismatched artwork and that the selections appear chosen for aesthetic reasons rather than accuracy.
The allegations emerged after Manon was confirmed to appear in an upcoming KATSEYE project despite an earlier hiatus.