Kim Junsu Flamed For “Cheap AF” Fan Gifts Amid Blackmail News

Gifts, at first, came from the fans to their favorite celebrities. Over time, though, gift-giving became rather mutual. Now, celebrities often choose to surprise their fans with gifts. From snacks to luxurious goods, these gifts have come to be known as “역조공” (yeokjogong)—a term meaning “reverse offering” to stand for the idol-to-fan gifting culture.

BTS’s Jimin Prepared The Most Gorgeous And Thoughtful Gifts For Fans Who Came To Watch Him Perform At “Music Bank”

And while most celebrities go viral for showering their fans with extravagant gifts, former TVXQ member Kim Junsu, now of JYJ and JX fame, is being flamed for his “cheap” offering.

Kim Junsu | @Junsu_PALMTREE/X

After it was revealed that Kim Junsu has been blackmailed for over ₩800 million KRW (about $573,000 USD)…

Kim Junsu Blackmailed By Female Streamer Who Secretly Recorded Intimate Audio Files

…his past “Valentine’s Event” resurfaced.

The event, held February 2024, started with Kim Junsu announcing that he’ll be choosing 24 fans to receive special gift boxes from him. In a YouTube video, Kim Junsu showed himself packing the boxes:

Soon after, the two dozen fans who received the boxes shared pictures of the goods they received. The pictures showed a variety of Korean candies and chocolates, with some of the luckiest few also receiving Kim Junsu’s autograph and polaroid pictures.

These pictures have since made their rounds online, triggering some intense reactions from K-Pop fans expecting more from the second-generation star. The post garnered over 128K views with 1.4K comments, all discussing the contents of the Valentine boxes.

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Most fans pointed out the “lack of thought” going into the gifts—criticizing the idol for doing too little. Some even brought up Kim Junsu’s otherwise extravagant life, nudging at his supercar collection, and attacked him for being “cheap” with his fans.

Others attacked him with a more blatant accusation, claiming that he ripped his fans off to fund his rendezvous with female streamers.

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• “Makes me sad.”
• “I think if he included whole packages of the snacks, it would’ve been OK. But the fact that he split up the snacks is what turns me the f*ck off. LMAO.”
• “In 2024?!”
• “What are those, rice crackers? This reminds me of the snack lineup at office break rooms… He would’ve been better off giving Ritter Sport chocolate from Olive Young.”

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• “I HATE comparing gifts that fans get, so I tend not to comment. But even for me, this is ridiculous. I guess no one at his management is smart at stuff like this? If he was going to make an entire video on it, then he shouldn’t have included the cheap ‘break room’ snacks and added Godiva-level chocolate. Handwritten messages and lipsticks/perfumes would’ve made a solid Valentine’s box. He obviously has no idea what he’s doing. To be handing this out to a mere group of 24 fans… So sad.”
• “Those are the same kinds of snacks that my mom packs when she goes hiking. LOL. It’s incredible that he still has fans.”
• “You’re telling me his fans are fine with receiving that…? True love, I tell ya.”
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• “Wow, LOL. He’s something else, HAHA. He’s cheap AND thoughtless.”

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• “I pack the same snacks when I go on a teamwide workshop at work.”
• “Doesn’t he live in Signiel? What’s this?”
• “Even rookies offer better than this.”
• “Wow, this is so embarrassing.”
• “This is from 2024?!”
• “Are we sure he didn’t steal the snacks from his office break room?”

Amid the online buzz, Kim Junsu has reiterated in a second statement that he “is the victim and has not committed any illegal acts related to this incident.”

Read the full statement below.

Kim Junsu Emphasizes He Is The Victim Of The Female Streamer’s Threats