Fans of the up-and-coming K-POP group ZEROBASEONE are flooding social media with complaints about what they perceive as biased photo edits by the streaming giant Melon. As the group gears up for the release of their debut album ‘Youth In The Shade‘ on July 10, they recently gained a spot on Melon’s platform—a milestone they proudly shared on social media.
Fans quickly spotted that Melon had tampered with the group’s original photos, rearranging the positions of certain members.
The Hi-RiSing page noticeably shifted center Zhang Hao from the middle to the photo’s edge.
In another profile section, the platform relegated both Zhang Hao and fellow member Ricky to the edges, contrasting starkly with their original positions. Earlier versions of these edited photos even omitted member Kim Gyuvin, although this was later corrected.
The alterations have ignited a firestorm among fans … Many of whom accuse Melon of discriminating against Zhang Hao and Ricky due to their Chinese heritage. The controversy has gone viral, spawning the hashtag #ZHANGHAOISCENTER as fans demand the restoration of the original photos. A fan group dedicated to Zhang Hao announced plans to email Melon and Wake One Entertainment, to insist on corrections.
In response to the mounting criticism, Melon is reportedly in the process of revising the controversial images.
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