From debuting at a young age under intense public attention to facing xenophobia, age-targeted criticism, harassment, and privacy violations, Ni-ki's journey has often highlighted the vulnerabilities of growing up in the spotlight.
Ni-Ki debuted in ENHYPEN at just 14 years old after I-LAND, becoming one of the youngest active idols in the industry.
Fan Complaints:
Extremely young age at debut.
Exposure to intense public scrutiny as a minor.
Separation from his family in Japan.
Heavy training and promotional schedules.
Pressure of adapting to life in a foreign country.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued BELIFT chose to place a child under the demands of the idol industry without sufficient safeguards, emotional support, and protections appropriate for a minor.
After debuting as ENHYPEN's only Japanese member, Ni-Ki became the target of xenophobic remarks on various online platforms.
Fan Complaints:
Anti-Japanese comments directed at him.
Attacks focused on his nationality rather than his actions.
Derogatory stereotypes about Japanese people.
Comments questioning whether a Japanese member should be in a Korean group.
Harassment despite being a minor.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued BELIFT failed to publicly address nationality-based harassment directed at Ni-Ki and did not visibly support him against xenophobic attacks during his early years as an idol.
As ENHYPEN's popularity increased, Ni-Ki became the target of recurring hate comments, malicious edits, and online harassment.
Fan Complaints:
Hate comments spreading across social media.
Personal attacks targeting his age and personality.
False rumors circulating unchecked.
Harassment directed at a minor.
Lack of visible company intervention.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans believed BELIFT failed to take strong public action against the harassment and did not adequately protect a teenage member from escalating online abuse.
Ni-Ki was among several idols targeted by the controversial YouTube channel Sojang, which became known for spreading rumors, speculative content, edited narratives, and defamatory claims about K-pop idols.
Fan Complaints:
False and misleading information being circulated.
Videos targeting Ni-Ki's personality and behavior.
Hate comments increasing after uploads.
Rumors reaching wider audiences through viral content.
Emotional and reputational damage caused by repeated attacks.
Lack of visible company communication regarding protection efforts.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued that BELIFT failed to publicly reassure supporters that Ni-Ki was being protected from defamatory content and allowed harmful narratives to spread for years before significant industry-wide action was taken against Sojang.
Ongoing Sexualization While Underage [ 2020 - 2025 ]
From debut onward, fans repeatedly raised concerns about Ni-Ki being sexualized despite being a minor for a significant portion of his early career.
Fan Complaints:
Inappropriate comments from adults online.
Sexualized edits and fan content involving a minor.
Suggestive discussions about his appearance and body.
Invasive scrutiny of his physical development.
Mature concepts being assigned to a member who was still underage.
Insufficient public warnings against inappropriate behavior toward a minor.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans believed BELIFT did not do enough to discourage the sexualization of an underage idol and failed to publicly address inappropriate comments and content directed at Ni-Ki during his teenage years.
Ni-Ki became one of the most heavily criticized members during several online controversies and misinformation campaigns.
Fan Complaints:
Mass harassment on social media.
Old clips repeatedly used against him.
Misleading narratives spreading online.
Excessive scrutiny compared to peers.
Emotional distress caused by prolonged attacks.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans believed BELIFT failed to actively defend Ni-Ki from sustained character attacks and allowed harmful narratives to persist for extended periods.
Following a Weverse interaction related to Korea's Independence Movement Day, Ni-Ki faced significant online criticism and hostility.
Fan Complaints:
Excessive backlash toward a foreign-born idol.
Threats and hateful comments.
Nationality-based criticism.
Escalation far beyond the original issue.
Lack of visible public support from the company.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued BELIFT should have intervened more strongly to protect Ni-Ki from disproportionate harassment and nationality-based attacks.
After NI-KI was selected as Studio Choom's Artist of the Month, fans felt BELIFT did not properly promote the achievement.
Fan Complaints:
Limited promotion from official accounts.
Lack of reposts and promotional campaigns.
Fans relied on Studio Choom updates instead.
NI-KI personally promoted content through Weverse.
Missed opportunity to highlight a major individual achievement.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans believed BELIFT failed to capitalize on one of NI-KI's biggest solo accomplishments, leaving much of the promotion to NI-KI himself and external platforms.
Fans launched campaigns demanding fair treatment after noticing instances where Ni-Ki appeared to receive less visibility.
Fan Complaints:
Reduced screen time in some content.
Missing reaction shots and segments.
Absence from certain promotional materials.
Misspellings and errors involving his name.
Perceived lack of equal promotional opportunities.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued BELIFT repeatedly overlooked Ni-Ki during promotions and failed to ensure equal representation across official content.
Ni-Ki shared information suggesting extremely limited sleep due to work schedules.
Fan Complaints:
Insufficient sleep.
Consecutive work commitments.
Intensive travel schedules.
Physical and mental fatigue.
Risk of burnout.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans felt BELIFT continued scheduling activities despite signs of exhaustion and prioritized productivity over the members' health.
Fans raised concerns regarding Ni-Ki's treatment during activities connected to China-based schedules.
Fan Complaints:
Apparent separation from other members.
Reduced visibility during public activities.
Unequal treatment allegations.
Limited participation in some appearances.
Perceived discomfort during events.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans believed BELIFT failed to ensure Ni-Ki received the same level of support, visibility, and inclusion as the rest of the group.
Ni-Ki attended the Michael movie premiere in Seoul, but fans noticed that BELIFT did not publicly acknowledge or promote his attendance despite his long-known admiration for Michael Jackson.
Fan Complaints:
BELIFT did not acknowledge or promote Ni-Ki's attendance.
His appearance received little to no official publicity.
Universal Pictures Korea allegedly deleted a post that included Ni-Ki and later reposted content without him.
Fans felt his participation was overlooked despite being one of the event's notable attendees.
Lack of clarification from BELIFT regarding the situation.
Why Fans Called It Mistreatment: Fans argued that BELIFT failed to properly support and promote Ni-Ki's attendance at a high-profile event. Many believed the company should have ensured equal recognition for his participation and addressed concerns after content featuring him was reportedly removed, viewing it as another example of Ni-Ki being overlooked or inadequately represented.