The announcement of the final member of TripleS, a highly ambitious K-Pop girl group project by Modhaus, has ignited a fiery debate among fans.
Seoha | tripleS official/YouTube
WAVs, fans of the group, had been anticipating the member’s reveal a lot due to her being the final addition to the 24-member group. But it all turned into disappointment for some when it was found out Seoha was only 13 years of age.
| tripleS official/YouTube
Born in June 2010, Seoha has become one of the youngest idols in the K-Pop industry and the first idol born in the 2010s. This has brought forth a lot of backlash towards the company, which stems from fans being concerned about Seoha suffering all the disadvantages that come with being a K-Pop idol at such a young age.
| tripleS official/YouTube | tripleS official/YouTube
TripleS stands out as the world’s pioneering decentralized K-Pop idol group. This innovative concept allows fans to influence the group’s direction by selecting sub-units, songs — even the members’ stage names — and guiding content through the purchase of NFT photo cards titled “Objekts.”
However, the focus has shifted from TripleS’s groundbreaking model to the implications of Seoha’s young age. Fans have taken to platforms like Twitter and Reddit to voice their concerns. Some remarks have critically questioned Modhaus’s selection process, suggesting they search middle schools to find young aspiring idols.
in middle schools apparently https://t.co/2LgkfBMEr1
— kleffin | Assemble24 (@kleffindeffin) April 4, 2024
Meanwhile, others have expressed discomfort in supporting a star of such a young age and refuse to call themselves fans of the full group.
Announcing myself as an ot23 stan until haerin is older. I refuse to stan a 13/barely 14 year old.
If you have a problem with that feel free to block. Me, turning 20 in may, do not feel comfortable stanning a 13/barely 14 year old
+
— Lune (@lunaebit) April 4, 2024
i’m sorry but ur actually stupid if u think wavs are hating on haerin when we’re all just concerned because we know how awful this industry are and how harsh it will be on a 13 year old
— lia.wav (@xinyubff) April 4, 2024
woke up for s24 reveal but i woke up to see that haerin is 13 years old instead pic.twitter.com/OLA4EOgtKr
— ♡ (@wavseoyeon) April 4, 2024
A sentiment echoed across social media is the worry for Seoha’s well-being in an industry known for its demanding nature.
i am in distraught right now. as someone who had once a dream of joining the music industry, i am so happy for haerin chasing her dreams. however, she’s too young for this harsh industry. modhaus, this is your fault for letting too young girls to debut. it will never be okay. – pic.twitter.com/CwzOfL4heO
— cari (@kotoneluv) April 4, 2024
Conversations about underage idols are not new, but they have intensified in recent years. Fans have not shied away from criticizing K-Pop giants such as HYBE and Starship Entertainment over the young ages of some NewJeans and IVE members. However, companies have not been put off by them — in fact, we’ve seen some of the youngest stars debut in recent years, and fans are not sure it will stop anytime soon.
