Red Velvet’s Irene Controversy: Stylist Who Exposed Singer Asks Fans To ‘Stop Bothering’ Her

Editor and stylist Kang Kook Hwa, who accused Red Velvet member Irene of verbally abusing her back in October, is begging fans of the K-pop star and online trolls to stop harassing her on social media.

Months after Irene made a public apology to the stylist, Kang took to her Instagram Stories to address the hate messages she continues to receive since exposing the singer's rude behavior.

"Please stop bothering me. Don't threaten me. It's a crime and cost dearly. She doesn't want it either. I'm doing silent for her sake. This is my last request. Please and please [sic],” wrote the stylist in a screenshot of her Instagram Stories post obtained by AllKPop.

Irene came under fire on Oct. 21 when the stylist came forward with accusations of verbal abuse and bullying against her. In Kang's Instagram post, she narrated a traumatic encounter with Irene in which she had been brought to tears by the celebrity’s harsh words, writing that she “received scars” that can never be “forgotten.”

Though the stylist did not name her in the post, netizens immediately concluded that the idol in question was Irene since Kang had included hashtags such as #monster and #psycho, which are titles of two of Red Velvet's songs.

Just days later, Irene came forward to confess that she was the celebrity described in the post and apologized profusely for her behavior.

“This incident has made me look back on the past, and I'm very ashamed of my poor words and actions, and I feel the importance of staff members once again. I'll think and act more carefully, so this does not happen again. I'm truly sorry to the fans who support me and for causing worry because of this incident,” Irene wrote in her statement.

While some came down heavily on Irene and criticized her for her arrogance and rude behavior, many fans also came to her defense and accused the stylist of making false accusations.

Following Kang's recent plea, social media users spoke up in an online community against the harassment the stylist is being subjected to two months after the incident.

"These people need to stop bothering the stylist, what if she releases the voice recording," wrote one netizen.

“I really feel bad for the editor," said another user.

"The people who are shielding Irene need to stay still since the evidence wasn't released," commented another user.

One fan attempted to end talks on the subject, writing, “Irene already admitted it and apologized." But another netizen pointed out that Kang has been receiving hate messages not just from international fans, but also from Korean fans who thought she should not have spoken out against Irene.