“The way HYBE s*xualizes minors” — Fans divided as KATSEYE’s ‘Gabriela’ choreography sparks backlash over Yoonchae’s suggestive moves 

17-year-old KATSEYE member Yoonchae's dance moves in the official choreography for Gabriela have sparked widespread chatter online. On July 10, 2025, the global girl group released the performance video for their newest single, Gabriela. Soon after, a certain moment from the bridge, featuring Yoonchae, led to discussions on social media.

The scene showed Yoonchae performing swaying motions, followed by ground-level choreography close to fellow artist Daniela. Clips of this part quickly spread on X, where users raised concerns about the appropriateness of the moves for a minor. One X user wrote:

🫧 belle

@sapphicjeans

LINK

the way HYBE s*xualizes minors is so skimmed over by y’all

Numerous followers echoed similar viewpoints, highlighting the section’s relevance to her age. Many are criticizing HYBE, stressing the importance of age-aware staging for young performers.

"The choreo during the bridge for yoonchae is f**king disgusting idgaffff this is trifling for this company to make a minor do. the choreo had been described as “s*xy” and “grown” by the other members as well. this is NOT it," a fan remarked.

"HYBE will hire a choreographer to teach a group with a minor in it dances that involve rolling back and forth in doggy and twerking and their fans will tell you it’s not s*xual or that it dosent matter that it’s s*xual because “17 is almost 18” Send the flood…," a viewer noted.

"Yall sayin u were wilder at 17 is not the point. U WERE NOT FAMOUS AS A MINOR & HIRED INTO A GLOBAL YOUNG GG MARKETED TO SELL & PERFORM OCCASIONAL MATURE S*XUAL CONTENT TO AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD FOR PROFIT. Hybe is exploiting her just like they did w newjeans," a person shared.

Others are defending KATSEYE's maknae, arguing that critics are overreacting and treating her as if she’s much younger than she really is. Some pointed out that she’s mostly covered and kept in the background during the more suggestive scenes.

"I love how you guys act like she’s 5, she’s 17 years old like she can dance however she wants to, she will be 18 soon so yall can just stfu," a netizen said.

"I came here to say I love how covered yoonchae is and how she's mostly in the back during the inappropriate moves but I see not everyone thinks alike 😭," a user mentioned.

"These people pi**ing and crying over yoonchae crying would be horrified w my 17 yr old sister comparatively. 17 yr olds are SEVENTEEN NOT FIVE!," another fan added.

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KATSEYE’s Gnarly music video had also sparked controversy regarding Yoonchae's involvement

On April 30, 2025, KATSEYE launched their single, Gnarly, but the accompanying visual video stirred swift reactions from audiences, primarily over content featuring 17-year-old performer Yoonchae.

Immediately after the premiere, the composition’s verses became a topic of discussion across digital platforms, with several commentators criticizing the wordplay. However, more attention shifted to specific video moments that viewers flagged as troubling.

In particular, choreography segments and a stylized clip showing two insects in a mating scene were seen as discomforting due to Yoonchae’s age. Many internet users expressed concern, saying that the combination of suggestive movements, lyrical messages, and symbolic visuals might not be appropriate for an artist still considered a minor.

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This adds to a series of similar cases where entertainment company HYBE has been highlighted. Past discussions involved styling choices and visual direction for younger members of their other girl groups, including LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans.