Veteran Singer Under Fire For Calling Female Idol In Her 30s “Ahjumma”

Netizens pointed out their age difference.

Singer Tak Jae Hoon is once again receiving criticism for a controversial comment he made on his YouTube show No Back Tak Jae Hoon.

In the latest episode of the show, the iconic second-generation girl group KARA appeared as special guests. Though KARA had halted their promotions as a group, they reunited in 2022 to celebrate their 15^th anniversary and have since been promoting together on multiple platforms.

During his conversation with KARA about their reunion, Tak Jae Hoon unexpectedly called them “ahjumma.” The comment, directed at KARA member Nicole, said, “What do you guys do with all the ahjummas gathering together?”

The Korean word ahjumma usually refers to a married or a middle-aged woman, but it has incorporated derogatory implications in recent times. In online communities, it is often used as an insult to female netizens, and Koreans have reportedly grown reluctant to use the term in public or official situations.

Tak Jae Hoon’s comment at Nicole has naturally left a bad taste in netizens’ mouths. In a viral community post about that segment, many left comments criticizing his choice of words and overall treatment of KARA, which they felt was problematic. Some also pointed out that Nicole was just a 91-liner, nearly 30 years younger than Tak, and calling her an ahjumma was a stretch for him.

• “Wow, he thinks KARA doesn’t have fans.”
• “Crazy.”
• “I don’t want to see that old man anymore.”
• “Our ancestor.”
• “The old man is so f*cking boring.”
• “It looks even weirder on video… Saying things like ‘there’s no reaction to your new song, it’s all in vain’ right to their face, seriously? Haha, it’s really not funny at all.”

What do you think about it?