Misunderstanding or Misguidance? ENHYPEN Sunoo’s McDonald’s Mix-up Shakes K-pop Fans

The international focus has shifted towards the ongoing boycott of corporations such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, a movement that stands in solidarity with Palestine amidst the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Despite the landscape, even K-pop idols have faced scrutiny, as evidenced by ENHYPEN’s Sunoo who recently became the subject of a misunderstanding.

The boycott of specific brands has become increasingly popular as a way to express support for Palestine, an important topic that is influencing discussions on a global scale.

Sunoo’s Casual Mention Turned Misunderstanding

On April 24, 2024, Sunoo posted a casual update on Weverse about his breakfast preference, referencing “something similar to a McMorning.”

In Korean culture, the phrase “McMorning”is a Konglish term that describes a meal resembling brunch, but not necessarily consisting of McDonald’s items.

SWeuno Update via Weverse (Photo : weverse)

ENHYPEN Sunoo' — ENHYPEN Sunoo’ (Photo : naver)

MC DONALDS' MC MORNING — MC DONALDS’ MC MORNING (Photo : Twitter)

International Misinterpretation

Regrettably, a few international fans misinterpreted Sunoo’s statement, unable to understand the cultural subtleties and wrongly accusing him of endorsing McDonald’s amidst the boycott.

international netizens reactions (Photo : Twitter)

This event emphasizes the importance of international fans understanding cultural contexts in order to prevent misunderstandings and to support their favorite idols in a responsible manner.

A Korean fan has released a statement clarifying the significance of “McMorning,”underscoring the significance of acknowledging cultural distinctions.

Koreans eat Korean food for breakfast❗️❗️But he is in the U.S., so he had an American breakfast. In Korea, McMorning style or brunch is typical for such a food name, because there is no proper way to call such a menu in Korean. It’s just a noun bro😭😭 https://t.co/mVjfh9y9ap

— What I Want to Say (@malham999) April 23, 2024

Recently, fans of ENHYPEN, known as ENGENEs, organized a protest against BELIFT LAB, alleging that the agency was showing discrimination towards Sunoo by not providing him with adequate solo promotions and brand opportunities.

The demonstration consisted of placing banners on trucks, advocating for increased opportunities for Sunoo. While certain supporters backed the protest, others perceived it as humiliating and recommended shifting the focus towards other matters, such as the group’s involvement in airport mobbing incidents.

Despite differing opinions, international fans raised concerns about the effectiveness of the protest and called for attention to be given to other important matters. However, there was a general consensus that Sunoo deserved more individual opportunities and support from the agency.