FROMIS_9 - LEE CHAE YOUNG
LEE CHAE YOUNG of the group fromis_9 had to explain herself once again.
LEE CHAE YOUNG, who appeared on the YouTube channel show “입만열면” released on July 23, stated that she is a non-smoker, even resorting to a lie detector. Saying “I have never smoked a cigarette in my life”, she directly explained the rumor that emerged 3 years ago due to a single photo on social media, and the lie detector also showed a “truth” reaction. LEE CHAE YOUNG expressed her sense of injustice, saying: “Please delete the associated keywords.”
The beginning of the incident was simple. On a social media photo uploaded in 2023, an object resembling an electronic cigarette was captured in the same frame, and the speculation that this item belonged to LEE CHAE YOUNG spread as a fact. There was no proof that it was LEE CHAE YOUNG‘s electronic cigarette, but it was naturally accepted as “LEE CHAE YOUNG smokes”.
On that day, Lee Yongjin laughed at LEE CHAE YOUNG who felt wronged, saying: “Is that a definite smoker’s face?”. It was a light joke, but from LEE CHAE YOUNG‘s point of view, it was the moment when a misunderstanding that had been following her for several years was confirmed once again. In fact, LEE CHAE YOUNG even heard people say “If you don’t smoke, it’s rather disappointing”, and revealed that she had once received a sponsorship offer from an electronic cigarette brand.
The point to reflect on here is not the act of smoking itself. Whether an adult smokes is a personal choice. The problem is the situation itself where an image created without any verification of facts follows a person for a long time, and where they ultimately have to step forward directly to prove that “that is not the case”.
LEE CHAE YOUNG also made headlines previously with the nickname “face rejected at the doorstep during the meeting between families”. Although it was a nickname given due to her vivid facial features, it was not an expression containing malice. However, over time, this nickname went beyond a simple joke. The image that she is haughty, cold, and rebellious was naturally superimposed, and the electronic cigarette rumor can also be seen as having been consumed as an extension of this.
A frame once created is stronger than one thinks. Rather than actual personality or actions, the character created by people is consumed first, and every time a new incident occurs, it is guessed and interpreted according to that image.
This is not a problem unique to LEE CHAE YOUNG either. Stars often see their personality and living habits guessed solely by their appearance or atmosphere, and this consequently becomes an image.
LEE CHAE YOUNG‘s explanation this time was not simply saying that she did not smoke. It was having to prove it, even in front of a lie detector, to get out of the image created by the public. Now, we need to look back on the thought that “since she looks like that, it must be the case”.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: YouTube 입만열면, SNS FROMIS_9
