Did these 6 K-pop idols get special treatment from their agencies? From Blackpink’s Jennie who was dubbed ‘YG’s Princess’ to Bae Suzy, and new girl group Ive’s Wonyoung

Jan 3 , 2022

From Blackpink’s Jennie to Ive’s Wonyoung and former 4minute member Hyuna, fans think these K-pop stars got special treatment from their agencies.
Photos: @jennierubyjane, @for_everyoung10, @hyuah_aa/Instagram — From Blackpink’s Jennie to Ive’s Wonyoung and former 4minute member Hyuna, fans think these K-pop stars got special treatment from their agencies. Photos: @jennierubyjane, @for_everyoung10, @hyuah_aa/Instagram

While Jennie was considered the favourite of Blackpink, Jisoo with her new K-drama Snowdrop, as well as Rosé and Lisa, have also garnered a lot of attention

Favouritism for Hyuna supposedly caused a rift within group 4Minute, while Everglow’s Mia was accused of getting more singing lines in singles

With the sheer amount of K-pop groups and idols, it’s not surprising that some stars may get more of the spotlight than others Sometimes this even also occurs within a group, when one member is favoured at the expense of others, sparking the ire of fans who then go on to accuse the agencies behind the bands of unequal treatment.

Here are six K-pop idols who have been pointed out as the “favourites” of their companies.

1. Ive’s Wonyoung

Fans recently pointed out that Wonyoung from K-pop group Ive seems to be getting “preferential treatment”. Photo: @for_everyoung10/Instagram

K-pop group Ive has been in the spotlight since its debut in December, and although the band has been showered with love by many fans, not all the attention has been positive. Recently, fans pointed out that Wonyoung, one of the members and a former member of girl group Iz*one, seemed to be getting preferential treatment with her stage outfits.

Fans noticed that Wonyoung’s outfits seemed to stand out significantly compared to those of the other members’, prompting backlash against the group’s stylist for showing favouritism towards the singer. In one case, according to Koreaboo, though all the other girls and dancers were in black outfits, Wonyoung was the only one in a mostly white ensemble, clearly standing out.

Ive’s Wonyoung donned a white outfit while fellow group members wore black during a performance. Photo: SBS Kpop/YouTube

Netizens also noticed that during the group’s debut performance, Wonyoung was dressed in hot pink while the other girls wore much darker outfits. Many expressed their annoyance at these incidents, complaining that the company is pushing Wonyoung on purpose, leading to other members getting less attention.

2. Everglow’s Mia

Mia is often pointed out as being the company’s “favourite” of Everglow. Photo: @official_everglow/Instagram

Much like Wonyoung, it appears that Everglow’s main vocalist and dancer Mia got preferential treatment from the group’s company, but in the form of song lines, not outfits. Since her debut, Mia consistently got the most lines in the group’s singles, and seemed to be in the spotlight more than the other members. Fans have clearly noticed this, as they’ve started referring to the group as “Mia and friends”. K-pop fan and YouTuber Angelina released a video covering Mia’s favouritism in February 2020, which has since gotten over 270,000 views.

Though this case may not be as blatant as some of the others on this list, it certainly was enough to spark the ire of fans.