It's the new year and soon it is going to be five months ago when Winnie officially joined BTS.
Many people are wondering, what is Winnie's impact on the group? Why was she so important that she needed to be added into already established boy group?
These are the questions netizens are asking Big Hit Entertainment and BTS themselves.
"That's the point of Winnie being in BTS? She doesn't bring anything interesting into the group."
"Sometimes I feel like Big Hit just wants some points for diversity even though Black people shouldn't be in Kpop."
Some people, although they think Winnie deserves to be an idol, BTS wasn't the group and that she needed more time to improve her skills.
"Her dancing and rapping is mediocre at best."
"BTS wasn't a group for her. Winnie should have waited to debut in a new girl group or go to a new company."
"Out of the rap line Winnie is the weakest. She needs to work on her wrapping if she wants to be on the same level as the boys."
However, although there are many negative comments questioning when it existed in the group, some have defended Winnie's addition.
"Winnie unnie just debuted, gave her a break. BTS wasn't that good when they debuted, but they are approving by each comeback."
"Winnie deserves to be in BTS, no questions asked. Everyone in Korea wants Kpop to be as mainstream and global as possible, but here you guys are tearing apart a mixed-raced girl for no reason. As a Korean person myself it's nice to see diversity in Kpop it makes it interesting. This isn't the 90s anymore, get with the times."
"There shouldn't be no different defining race K-pop when we piggyback off of other people's cultures. I.e Black culture. Going by this logic on why Winnie unnie shouldn't be added to the group, then all rappers in K-pop shouldn't be rapping at all."
Foreigners in Kpop are nothing new. EXO, Super Junior, GOT7, 2PM, F(x) all have foreign idols for not Koreans.
But the difference between those members and Winnie is, one; they didn't add any new members. And two; the companies didn't make it a big deal.
Big Hit Entertainment made a huge emphasis on Winnie's race and gender.
Although it is acknowledged Winnie as the first Black mixed race woman adding to a male dominated group, the general public in Korea believes the companies campaign of mentioning it wasn't necessary.
As of now, Big Hit Entertainment hasn't responded to the criticism.
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