MINJI of K-pop girl group NewJeans' smoker-like hand gesture during the group's recent live is heating up online.
On October 29, the five members of NewJeans―MINJI, DANIELLE, HANNI, HAERIN and HYEIN―went live on the group's official fan community PHONING; the live stream was to celebrate NewJeans' fan club Bunnies' 1st anniversary.
When the live broadcast begun, fans could not help but notice the room where the girls were holding the live broadcast, decorated with pretty lights and balloons shaped like bunnies, and little bunnies clipped on their heads.
During the live broadcast, they took turns to express their sincere gratitude to Bunnies for their endless love and support.
Following that, each of them got a party horn out and began blowing it to really get into the festive mood.
It was at this moment that a lot of K-pop fans gasped and froze in their seats in disbelief.
It was after they noticed MINJI grabbing and holding her party horn as if a smoker would grab and hold their cigarette.
Instead of the 'usual' way of grabbing and holding the party horn with a thumb and index finger, she used her index finger and middle finger.
As she brought it to her mouth, she opened her mouth as if she were inhaling and exhaling smoke as well; that was at least what it seemed like to many anyway.
MINJI seemed so natural when she did all this that fans started to wonder whether she was a smoker.
When the live broadcast was over, this particular part of it quickly went around online, and K-pop fans' thoughts regarding her hard-not-to-notice hand gesture were torn between two.
Some stated, "Wow, she definitely smokes! That's totally what a smoker would do. She looked really natural too!", "I mean, it's possible for a non-smoker to do that, but we would look much less like we're smoking. Not like her.", "I can't believe that she smokes. She's an idol!", "That was habitual for sure." and more.
Others said things like, "So what? Who cares even if she does smoke anyway?", "Don't be ridiculous. She just happened to use those fingers. Stop making things up.", "You're only seeing what you want to see. She seriously just looks like she's just blowing a party blower!", "Why would you say that she did that out of habit? There are chances of her hand gesture being a coincidence!" and so on.
As it is widely considered 'wrong' for K-pop stars to smoke, a great number of fans are shocked about the possibility of MINJI smoking, and are asking her to quit immediately if she does.
(Credit= PHONING, 'NewJeans_ADOR' X)