Why are these 5 K-pop idols getting the short end of the stick? Fans fear agencies ‘exclude’ idols, from Blackpink’s Lisa missing PFW, and NCT’s Yuta being MIA on IG, to Aespa’s Giselle not on Spotify

Sep 26 , 2022

Ive’s Liz, Blackpink’s Lisa, Aespa’s Giselle and NCT’s Yuta have all been seemingly mistreated by their agencies. Photos: @aespa_official, @lalalalisa_m, @liz__ive, @yuu_taa_1026/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa didn’t join Jisoo, Jennie and Rosé at Paris Fashion Week 2021, with Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin saying it was YG Entertainment’s fault

Hong Kong-born Vivi from Loona and Aespa’s Giselle seem to get little screen time, while Ive’s Liz is speculated to have missed promos due to her weight gain

In the cutthroat industry of K-pop, it’s unfortunately not always surprising to hear about K-pop idols being overworked or even mistreated. But there are some cases where specific members of groups seem to be, intentionally or not, excluded and treated especially badly by their own companies or by brands.

From Aespa’s Giselle to Blackpink’s Lisa, here are five K-pop idols who seem to have suffered from unfair treatment during their time in the spotlight …

1. Aespa’s Giselle

Giselle has apparently been left out by several brands. Photo: @aespa_official/Instagram

Aespa’s Giselle often seems to get excluded from group activities. According to Koreaboo, fans went into an uproar last year when Korean media outlets blurred out Giselle’s face from group photos – and it seems her apparent mistreatment has only continued. Cosmetics brand Club Clio Japan and fashion label MLB Korea both faced criticism when they neglected to upload pictures of Giselle featuring in their recent ad campaigns, even though all other members’ photos had been uploaded to the companies’ social media account and website, respectively. MLB Korea also misspelled the rapper’s name, writing “Gieselle” instead of Giselle on its website.

Luxury brand Chopard came under fire as well, as its 30-second ad featuring the four-member group only had Giselle on screen for one second.

SM Entertainment didn’t escape fans’ scrutiny either. When each member announced their own Spotify playlist in early September, fans noticed that only Giselle’s seemed to be missing in the group’s Spotify profile. Later, Giselle mentioned that she herself had to request her playlist to be included, frustrating fans who felt the company was neglecting her.

Whether intentional or not, Giselle certainly seems to be excluded from group promos fairly often. Fans got several hashtags trending on Twitter in response, like #GiselleDeservesBetter and #TreatGiselleFairly.

2. Blackpink’s Lisa

YG Entertainment has been accused of mistreating Lisa for years. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Fans have criticised YG Entertainment for excluding and mistreating Lisa for years. From getting the worst outfits, in fans’ opinion, to not being allowed to attend events, she seems to have had the worst luck out of her members. When she was promoting her solo work, Lisa only got three stage performances in Korea, which all felt rushed, while bandmate Rosé promoted hers for up to two months, per Kbizoom.

In 2021, Lisa was the only member who didn’t attend Paris Fashion Week despite being an ambassador for luxury brands like Bulgari and Celine. Bulgari’s CEO Jean-Christophe Babin explained on Instagram, saying that her agency had not allowed her to attend the show due to Covid-19 concerns – which understandably angered fans. They started a movement to boycott YG Entertainment and got hashtags like #YGLetLisaDoHerWork trending. Hopefully with Blackpink’s comeback this month, all members will get equal opportunities and exposure.