The idol shared an apology for his comment.
Koreaboo
18 minutes ago
Recently, RIIZE‘s Eunseok has faced criticism over his comments.
RIIZE’s Eunseok | SM Entertainment
Eunseok shared photos of himself as a child for Children’s Day; however, one of the photo captions he posted sparked massive controversy online for using the derogatory term “kkamdoongie,” often compared to the N-slur in English.
Top Idol Calls Himself “The N-Word” In Now-Deleted Message, Sparking Criticism
Criticism followed, with the idol issuing a short apology after.
RIIZE Member Directly Responds To Now-Deleted Racist Message
Netizens have debated the meaning of the word in context, as it is used in multiple ways, though many feel it should not have been used at all if there were any circumstances it could be a slur. Black fans especially have spoken out, showing disappointment in the idol.
In response, it appears that some fans have taken to using racial taunts.
On the RIIZE Weverse community, several posts reflecting racist comments about Black people were documented.
Many fans commented on the racism being shown in response to criticism of Eunseok, stating that the reaction was why continued discussions were important.
and briize want us to just move on a day later after seeing shit like this yeah okay https://t.co/FRc9OBba2y
— gigi (@yoeeism) May 7, 2026
oh but if koreans “don’t possess the same level of historical sensitivity as americans”how do they know about slavery https://t.co/0sVulZewgz
— 🦩 (@bIossomfuyu) May 7, 2026
another reason why he genuinely should not have said it even if he just meant it in the nickname way https://t.co/D06A8x5uOI
— mel ⋆｡°✩ #GLOW (@leehanloveb0t) May 6, 2026
the posts and the likes… antiblackness is such a huge problem in kpop spaces and it is not taken seriously enough by non black ppl. we need to call this shit out when we see it in our spaces bc letting microaggressions go unchecked from idols And fans culminates in This. https://t.co/IKVsEvFCx7
— dyke kang taehyun (@serotyunins) May 7, 2026