What was meant to be a playful teaser for Hearts2Hearts‘ upcoming comeback has unexpectedly ignited a political controversy online. The SM Entertainment girl group recently unveiled promotional material for its second mini album, Lemon Tang , featuring member Stella in a weather-forecast-themed concept.
While the teaser was intended to build anticipation for the release, it quickly became the centre of heated discussions across Korean online communities. The image has generated widespread criticism and controversy among netizens since its release, putting both Hearts2Hearts and SM Entertainment under intense public scrutiny ahead of the group’s comeback.
Hearts2Hearts’comeback photo faces backlash
The controversy ignites from one of the promotional images released for Lemon Tang by Hearts2Hearts. In the teaser, member Stella is seen posing as a weather forecaster, holding a lemon and pointing towards a map of South Korea. The image featured the phrase, “Lemon Tang Alert: Fresh Condition Expected. A New Atmospheric Phenomenon,” while also highlighting the album’s release date.
Soon after the photo was shared, Korean netizens began scrutinising the map used in the teaser. Many pointed out that Dokdo Island was not visible on the map, triggering criticism online. Due to the island’s importance to South Korea and its long-standing territorial dispute with Japan, this omission quickly became a sensitive issue.
As discussions gained traction, some netizens accused SM Entertainment of being careless with a politically charged issue. Others speculated that the omission may have been intentional, with some claiming it could be an attempt to avoid controversy in the Japanese market. However, no evidence has emerged to support such claims.
The image has since circulated widely across online forums and social media platforms, with users expressing disappointment and demanding an explanation from the agency. As of now, SM Entertainment has not publicly addressed the criticism surrounding the teaser photo.
The image drew divided reactions online. While some criticised SM Entertainment, writing, “I stan SM idols, but whenever things like this happen, I seriously want to beat the sh*t out of the agency,” and “Why would they do it?”, others commented, “Stop worrying so much about what Japan thinks. It’s our land, after all.” Meanwhile, some netizens dismissed the controversy altogether, calling it “fake news.”
About Hearts2Hearts
SM Entertainment officially introduced Hearts2Hearts during its 30th-anniversary concert, SMTOWN Live in Seoul, on January 12, 2025. The teaser video unveiled all eight members, instantly drawing attention online. One member, in particular, went viral for her resemblance to aespa’s Karina, sparking widespread discussion among K-pop fans.