K-pop icon Sandara Park (Dara) is under fire after an old story she shared on her YouTube series ‘Dara Tour’resurfaced, sparking intense debate among netizens. 😳

During a May 2023 episode of Dara Tour, Dara and fellow 2NE1 member Minzy took a nostalgic trip to the Philippines, where Dara spent a big part of her early career. While reminiscing, she casually shared a story from her past:

🗣️ Dara recalled:
💬 "A boy came up to me and asked for my number. He was so cute, I thought, why not? But later, I found out he was 14 years old."

💬 "At the time, I was 19 and about to debut as a singer. I thought, ‘Who knows when I’ll see him again?’ and lied about my age, telling him I was 16. We went on a few dates—playing whack-a-mole, basketball at the arcade, and watching movies together."

💬 "Then I debuted, and my real age was revealed on TV… I never contacted him again."

Hearing this, Minzy laughed, joking, "That boy got scammed."

As this clip resurfaced online, fans and netizens worldwide expressed concern, with some even calling it problematic and inappropriate. While some fans brushed it off as a youthful mistake, others strongly criticized the story, stating:

💭 "If the genders were reversed, it would be a serious crime."
💭 "This is borderline grooming. Even if she was young, lying about her age wasn’t okay."
💭 "This makes me uncomfortable… Why even share this story?"

The legal age of adulthood varies by country, further fueling the controversy.

🔹 In South Korea, both Dara (19 at the time) and the boy (14) would have been considered minors (adulthood begins at 20).
🔹 In other countries, however, a 19-year-old is legally an adult, and a relationship with a 14-year-old minor could be viewed as problematic.

Amid the growing backlash, Dara’s YouTube team swiftly edited out the controversial segment and issued a statement:

"Some parts of this episode have been re-edited to avoid potential misunderstandings that may arise due to cultural differences.

We kindly ask you to refrain from spreading unfounded speculations, misinterpretations, or malicious comments about the artist based on the video content.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate legal action against any attempts to defame the artist’s reputation."

🤔 What Do You Think?

Is this controversy blown out of proportion, or is the backlash justified? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! ⬇️