K-pop Idols Face Backlash Over On-Camera Kisses: KiiiKiii's Haum and KISS OF LIFE Spark Controversy

South Korean girl groups have recently faced back-to-back controversies over “kissing” gestures. Following a widely discussed “mouth-to-mouth” moment from KISS OF LIFE at the 2026 WATERBOMB Seoul festival, rookie girl group KiiiKiii member Haum has drawn renewed criticism for kissing an underage bandmate during a live broadcast.

Recently, during a live stream, Haum was filmed suddenly kissing 15-year-old member Kya on the lips. The footage quickly went viral across social media platforms, sparking intense debate among international netizens.

Given that Haum is 19 years old and an adult, while Kya is 15 and a minor, many netizens found the age gap made such physical interaction inappropriate. Especially since the incident occurred live on camera, many questioned if Haum intentionally sought to create buzz and gain attention, only to provoke a wave of negative reactions from global fans.

As the incident escalated, overseas social media platforms were flooded with critical comments. Users wrote: “What’s cute about it? One is 19, the other is 15,” “It’s really weird, can we stop hyping this kind of thing as cute?” “Haum, you know yourself you shouldn’t kiss a 15-year-old,” and “Oh my god, Haum is 19 and still kisses a 15-year-old member for the camera, speechless.”

Separately, KISS OF LIFE was invited to perform at South Korea’s summer music festival, 2026 WATERBOMB Seoul, on June 24. They performed several of their hit songs and debuted their unreleased track, “Sweat.” During the performance, members Natty and Belle had an unexpected, brief lip-to-lip contact while interacting face-to-face. The moment, resembling a kiss, was captured from multiple angles by fans and quickly went viral, sparking widespread discussion.

After the performance, many fans flocked to fan interaction platforms, asking if the two had actually kissed. Both members personally clarified, emphasizing it was an accident during the performance. Natty stated, “There’s nothing to explain… Shim Hye-won (심혜원), Belle’s birth name, bumped into me. I was startled at the moment.” Belle explained, “I was so immersed in the performance that I completely misjudged our distance,” stressing it was not a deliberate act.

Despite their explanations, the footage still garnered mixed reactions online. Many fans considered it a minor stage mishap, joking, “Their group name is KISS OF LIFE, what’s wrong with a kiss?” and “This is a performance that truly matches their group name.” Many others found their interaction amusing and did not over-interpret it.

However, another group of netizens held different views, questioning if the two were using ambiguous interactions to create hype. Some even suggested it was a deliberate attempt at “queerbaiting” to salvage their popularity after previous controversies. Comments included: “After such a big racism scandal, now they’re playing queerbait?” “Pretending to be lesbians won’t save your popularity,” and “They know their popularity is declining, so they’re rushing to queerbait.”