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Dara’s Response to Controversy
Recently, people noticed that the part where Dara admitted to lying about her age (from 19 to 16) in order to date a 14-year-old guy in one of her videos was edited, sparking outrage. It is known that this part previously led to heavy criticisms and grooming allegations directed at Dara.
Additionally, on February 11, the official YouTube channel of 2NE1’s Dara (Sandara Park) pinned a new comment on a video from 8 months ago. “Some parts of this episode have been re-edited to avoid potential misunderstandings that may arise due to cultural differences”, the account wrote.
Later on, the aforementioned comment was edited into “Some parts of this episode have been re-edited to avoid potential misunderstandings that may arise due to cultural differences. We kindly ask you to refrain from spreading unfounded speculations, misinterpretations, or malicious comments about the artist based on the video content. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate legal action against any attempts to defame the artist’s reputation.”
It seems that Dara and her team has becoming aware of spreading allegations and so has threatened legal consequences.
Netizens Furthered Angered at Poor Response
Seeing the actions of Dara and her team, many netizens were enraged to see that instead of apologizing, Dara and her team blamed it on “misunderstandings that may arise due to cultural differences“, stating that lying about being a minor to get with one is no culture in Korea.
“I love the good old ‘cultural difference’ excuse people make when being called out for something disgusting. Gaslighting people into thinking something like this is normal and we just don’t ‘understand’ because of whatever reason“, a netizen said, while another commented, “Korean here. Cultural difference my ass. What a slimy cop-out response.”
Many were also angered at the legal threat, leaving comments such as, “Defame the artists reputation?? i’m sorry, she did that all on her own when she admitted to lying about her age to date a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD at the age of NINETEEN. She is a predator and she absolutely needs to be called out on said behavior” and “How is it ‘unfounded speculations’ when she said it herself????”
Grooming Accusations
Meanwhile, previously on the morning of February 7, media outlet Koreaboo reported on 2NE1’s Dara’s “creepy love story” with a minor, which has led to “disgust” among netizens.
The controversy stems from a clip in the “Dara Tour” Vlog that aired 8 months ago. In the video, the singer shared that she had lied about her age—claiming to be 16 instead of 19—to date a 14-year-old boy. According to Dara, she ended the relationship with the boy, who was five years younger than her, after officially debuting in 2003 in the Philippines, when her real age was exposed on television. This has led to accusations that the 1984-born idol was practically grooming a minor.
The fact that Dara revealed the past “grooming” without remorse has led to fierce criticisms from netizens. In particular, netizens left various furious comments, such as, “Even though this happened about 21 years ago, I still find it strange that she thought like this at 19. Minzy also appeared in the clip and even called Dara’s story ‘cute’? This is so… “*
Another netizen wrote, “19-year-old dating a 14-year-old? I think even a 19-year-old dating a 17-year-old is questionable. But 14? There should never have been any romantic thoughts about a 14-year-old. This is completely wrong. And Dara casually shared this story like it was nothing. I really hope she didn’t actually date a 14-year-old and that this was just an exaggerated story she made up.”
Many people also called the situation “seriously disturbing”, expressing disbelief that Dara proudly shared this story.
