Red Velvet member Joy became the subject of criticisms after she wore a shirt promoting feminism for a recent event.
According to a report by All Kpop, Joy wore a Dior shirt under a grey suit jacket which said "We should all be feminists."
The outfit drew the ire of netizens who accused the Red Velvet member of being selfish.
Joy wore the shirt for the Blue Sky for All event, which seeks to promote clean air in Korea. Joy and Seulgi signed on as ambassadors of this year's celebration.
Joy posted several snaps of her outfit on her Instagram account, which drew mixed reactions from fans.
Feminism is perceived as a negative concept in Korea because feminists are considered as headstrong and demanding.
By wearing the shirt, some fans said Joy did not think of how her action would affect other Red Velvet members. They accused Joy of being selfish and unmindful of how Red Velvet's image would be damaged by her shirt's message.
Some were worried that because Joy was openly supporting feminism, fans might stop supporting Red Velvet.
Meanwhile, there were some fans who defended Joy and said that the outfit could be sponsored. This was debunked by other netizens who pointed out that Joy often tagged the brands of the sponsored outfits that she wore to events.
Amid Joy's recent controversy, Red Velvet is poised to make their comeback with five members with the group's cover of BoA's 2009 hit "Milky Way."
Red Velvet was chosen as one of the groups to participate in SMTOWN's Our Beloved BoA Project to celebrate BoA's 20th debut anniversary.
SM Entertainment, recently, released teaser images featuring Irene, Seulgi, Joy, Yeri and Wendy who were clad in floral dresses.
Red Velvet's comeback is welcome news for fans who waited for eight months for Wendy to return to group promotions.
It can be recalled that Wendy sustained severe injuries after she fell off the stage while rehearsing for last year's performance on SBS' Gayo Daejeon.
The accident caused Wendy injuries to her face, as well as serious fractures on her pelvis and wrist. She stayed in the hospital for two months before she was discharged. Wendy, also, spent the past few months undergoing rehabilitation to fully recover from her injuries.
SM Entertainment announced that Wendy will resume promotions with Red Velvet for activities that will not be too strenuous for her. They assured that Wendy has recovered significantly from her injuries, All Kpop reported.
