It is currently the presidential election period in South Korea, and there is growing concern over political gestures in the entertainment industry. With the 21st presidential election approaching, idols are being cautious about their hand gestures and poses to avoid any controversies.

During a YouTube live broadcast by NMIXX members Bae and Sullyoon on May 27, Bae initially made a cute gesture and flashed a V (✌️) sign with her fingers. However, she quickly retracted this gesture, shouting, "No! Don’t do the V!" and switching to a different pose.

Sullyoon also attempted a V sign as part of a challenge ending pose but then promptly changed to displaying numbers 1 to 5 with her fingers, concerned about potential political connotations. In the South Korean election context, the V sign could mistakenly be linked to the conservative People Power Party, which is represented by the number 2 and the color red on the ballot.

TXT shared a photo on their official Japanese social media where they avoided the V sign and opted for a neutral pose. PLAVE also faced misunderstandings about politically sensitive gestures during their YouTube live broadcast on May 24, carefully folding their fingers while posing.

ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Tae Rae edited a selfie on May 26 after realizing the implications of making a V sign. He changed the pose and neutralized it with his blue phone case. Sung Han Bin from the same group maintained a neutral pose at the Mnet ‘World of Dance’ press conference to avoid any misinterpretations during the election season.

Idols are refraining from using hand gestures that could be misconstrued as endorsing a specific political party or candidate. Even non-Korean members like RIIZE’s Shotaro are being cautious about their hand poses to avoid any inadvertent political implications.

The South Korean presidential election is set for June 3, 2025. This election is different from usual as it is being held in June, following Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment on December 4, 2024.