Cho Young Nam’s Surprise Kiss on SNSD’s Taeyeon Spark Fierce Debate Among Fans

Korean entertainment portals saw heated debate among fans on Sept. 22 after the video of veteran singer Cho Young Nam giving a surprise kiss on the cheek of SNSD’s Taeyeon spread online.

At the end of the Sept. 21 episode of KBS “Big Brothers,” the 66 year old Cho Young Nam gave a farewell kiss to Taeyeon on the side of her face as they wrapped up the first episode of the pilot program. Taeyeon, however, appeared to be slightly shocked at the peck he gave her, as her eyes turned big before smiling back at Cho Young Nam while giving him a hug.

After seeing the clip, netizens have debated whether the kiss was appropriate for a man 44 years older than Taeyeon. Some fans commented, “Cho Young Nam’s gesture was way over board. He crossed the line with that kiss,” “Did he really have to give her that kind of hug?” and “It was indeed a deep hug,” while others argued, “He’s like a father figure to her. What’s wrong with giving her a soft kiss?” “It’s just his way of showing appreciation,” and “Don’t overreact.”

An official from SM Entertainment later told local media, “Cho Young Nam has a daughter who’s about Taeyeon’s age. After finishing the long recording session, he wanted to show his appreciation, just as he would have to his daughter, for the hard work.”

Here’s the video of the incident. You can see the infamous hug from the 6-second mark. What is your take on this?