Actress Son Ye Jin revealed a casual video on social media, unexpectedly sparking public criticism.
On September 30th, Son Ye Jin posted on social media, “Finally ate.. it’s delicious,” along with footage of her eating cheese sticks.
In the video, she enjoys her food in a relaxed way, stretching out the cheese plentifully. Her carefree eating style, savoring the long strings of cheese, created a friendly atmosphere quite different from the image she usually shows in her roles.
Known as the “Nation’s First Love,” Son Ye Jin’s unexpected mukbang spread online and drew various reactions. Contrary to her usual neat and elegant image as an actress, many found her comfortable way of eating cute and approachable.
However, aside from comments like “cute” and “down-to-earth,” some criticized Son Ye Jin’s table manners. In particular, the smacking sounds made while eating were seen by some as excessive and unpleasant to watch. The discomfort centered more on the sounds heard in the video rather than her appearance, leading to a heated debate about dining etiquette.
The controversy intensified as Japanese netizens reportedly criticized Son Ye Jin’s mukbang, using it to condemn Korean dining manners.
One Japanese user shared the video, commenting, “Even a woman eats with such smacking sounds.” Other commenters replied with remarks like “China and Korea have this smacking eating image” and “They’re tolerant of people who make smacking sounds with their food,” fueling discussions about Korean meal customs.
Among Korean netizens, reactions included, “All Koreans are being mocked now,” “Please eat with your mouth closed,” and “It’s unpleasant to watch,” continuing to criticize Son Ye Jin’s dining etiquette.
On the other hand, some defended her, pointing out that the eating sounds might be amplified in the video and that there is no real problem. Since it was a simple mukbang video, they questioned whether it was necessary to criticize her manners so harshly, showing a divide in opinions.