SHINee’s Taemin sparks controversy with underwear-themed photo card in new album ‘Guilty’

Taemin, who made a solo comeback with his fourth mini-album ‘Guilty,’ is facing criticism from some female online communities due to a controversial photo card included in the album.

On October 30th, Taemin released his fourth mini-album ‘Guilty,’ which achieved significant success on various music charts. Despite the album’s overall success, some fans expressed their discomfort with the album’s design.

One fan posted on their social media, saying, “When you open the box, you see a boy looking at you through an open hole. Upon closer inspection, you realize that the boy is lying on a motel bed.” The photos in question featured holes on the outer box, and looking through these holes, fans could see Taemin lying on a bed, creating an intimate atmosphere.

Another fan expressed concern, saying, “There are some very suspicious photos inside a zipper bag, including a close-up of a boy’s body.” These particular photos, which showed Taemin appearing to remove his pants and underwear and touching melted ice to his lips, garnered significant attention.

Members of female online communities criticized these images, with comments such as, “Setting aside everything else, the underwear is real… and it’s from a major entertainment agency. It’s truly ‘guilty’ that no one stopped this,” and “If a female idol did this, it would be horrifying,” and “Considering sexual content as attractive is a bigger problem.”

Taemin made his debut as the youngest member of the group SHINee in 2008 and started his solo career in 2014.

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