OH MY GIRL's Mimi Criticized for 'Childish' Speech on 'Earth Arcade,' Sparks Online Debate

OH MY GIRL (오마이걸) member Kim Mi-hyun (김미현), known as Mimi, has seen her popularity reach new heights in recent years, largely due to her appearances on the variety show “Biong Biong Earth Arcade” (뿅뿅 지구오락실). Her candid personality and unique speaking style have helped her cultivate a distinct public image. However, a recent post on the popular Korean online forum Nate Pann, titled “I really hate Mimi’s pronunciation on ‘Biong Biong Earth Arcade,’” has ignited a fierce debate among netizens.

The original poster (OP) stated that when they first saw Mimi on variety shows, they found her pronunciation somewhat unclear, which initially made them dislike her. They later came to believe it was simply her natural way of speaking, and occasionally found her comedic timing on variety shows genuinely funny, leading them to gradually accept it.

However, after watching Mimi’s recent YouTube video reviewing snacks and a segment where she used a dialect on Tak Jae-hoon’s (탁재훈) show, the OP realized that her pronunciation was actually quite clear. This led them to suspect that she deliberately uses a “childish” articulation and speaking style on variety shows to create a specific character image.

The OP directly stated, “If it were just naturally poor pronunciation, I could understand, but since she can clearly articulate, why can’t she make a little effort?” They added that every time they watched “Biong Biong Earth Arcade,” they found the show less funny as it progressed, and Mimi’s speaking style became increasingly irritating.

The post quickly sparked a heated discussion among Korean netizens, with many agreeing with the OP’s perspective. Comments included: “I also thought that was just how she spoke, but then I watched YouTube and realized she can actually speak very clearly. It feels like she’s doing it on purpose to maintain her persona,” “She’s a good person, but her pronunciation and vocalization on ‘Earth Arcade’ are genuinely a bit uncomfortable,” “I watched the show with a male relative who usually isn’t interested in celebrities, and even he said Mimi’s speech was too slurred and hard to understand,” “She works hard and is kind, so I don’t dislike her, but the pronunciation is indeed a bit distracting,” and “Her mouth shape and lip movements also seem a bit too deliberate.”

However, many fans came to Mimi’s defense, arguing that this is precisely her charm on variety shows. Comments included: “Variety entertainers need a distinct persona to leave an impression on viewers. If you don’t like it, just skip it,” “Even so, your favorite idol couldn’t replace Mimi and join ‘Earth Arcade’,” “Seeing her get criticized actually means she’s really popular. I support Mimi,” “Although I don’t follow ‘Earth Arcade,’ I’ve always thought Mimi was kind and cute,” and “I actually find her very natural on the show; deliberately making those sounds is probably harder than speaking normally.”

Additionally, some netizens extended the discussion to the overall style of the show, suggesting that each member of “Biong Biong Earth Arcade” has a distinct variety persona. “Mimi’s pronunciation, Lee Young-ji (이영지) being too loud, Lee Eun-ji (이은지) also being loud, and An Yu-jin (안유진) constantly acting cute — watching it all together can actually be a bit tiring.” The opposing viewpoints continue to clash, reigniting the discussion.