Kim Eana is under fire after making a series of controversial comments about ALLDAY PROJECT during their appearance on her MBC FM4U radio show, Kim Eana’s Starry Night. Now five days since the broadcast aired, Kim Eana has yet to issue a public apology or comment on the growing backlash.
The group, a newly debuted co-ed act, appeared on Wednesday to share their experiences. However, some of Kim Eana’s remarks sparked immediate concern among fans and listeners.
“It’s only been 24 days since your debut,” she said during the broadcast. “Isn’t it a bit too early to be getting this kind of attention? Doesn’t that make you a little cocky?” She continued, “A lot of people say mixed-gender groups are hard to make work, but I see now there’s a reason behind your setup. Your performance was completely unexpected in a good way.”
While her comments about the group’s format raised eyebrows, it was her exchange with member Annie that drew the most criticism. Speculating about Annie’s training background, Kim Eana said, “I bet your trainee period was the shortest, probably because you had to get permission to join.” Even after Annie clarified that she had been training before receiving official approval, Kim Eana continued, “You probably didn’t have much time to practice. I thought your performance might stand out, but then I wondered, Has she always been this good at dancing?”
Kim Eana also referenced a previous moment from one of Annie’s live streams, where a voice in the background could be heard saying, “The chairwoman is coming in.” The clip had gone viral online, with fans speculating about its meaning. Addressing it on-air, Kim Eana remarked, “It’s actually cooler that you said you didn’t expect it to become such a big deal. Maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t see it that way. It’s not something scary, is it?”
Annie responded calmly, “Just to clarify, that was an older clip. At the time, my mom wasn’t the chairwoman.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. Kim Eana also directed a pointed question at Tarzzan, described by the group as their troublemaker, asking, “Have you ever actually caused any trouble?” Some fans felt the remark was overly judgmental and out of place.
Fans and listeners quickly took to social media, voicing frustration with the overall tone of the interview. Reactions included: “That was disrespectful,” “She keeps saying things that are tough for rookies to respond to,” “She seems especially aggressive toward Annie,” “Regardless of her personality, those comments were just rude,” “This interview was exhausting to listen to,” and “The group members all looked visibly uncomfortable.”
Despite the mounting criticism, Kim Eana has remained silent.
This isn’t the first time Kim Eana has come under fire for her language. In the past, she was criticized for using slurs commonly found on Ilbe — a far-right online community in South Korea — including a misogynistic phrase claiming that women should be beaten every three days, and offensive terms like “leftist face” and “hot pot,” which were used online to mock progressive figures such as former President Moon Jae In. At the time, she issued a public apology, stating, “I’ll make sure this never happens again.”
