CORTIS Comes Under Fire Over Lyrics Some Fans Say Disrespect HANRORO

CORTIS is facing backlash over lyrics in its new song that some fans say disrespect singer HANRORO and distort the meaning of her widely recognized track “0+0.”

The group performed “MONEYMONEYMONEY” for the first time on Saturday during its “PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN BIRTHDAY PARTY” at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul. The song includes the line:

“I want to be someone who makes money while having fun, Pororo / Adding 0 after 0 in my bank account, HANRORO.”

The lyric appears to use HANRORO’s name as a rhyme and reference the title of “0+0,” linking the repeated zeros to the idea of increasing money in a bank account. Korean netizens criticized the wording as an insincere or forced shout-out, saying it treats another artist’s work as a punchline rather than a respectful reference.

Some commenters were particularly upset because “0+0” is associated with emotional vulnerability and reassurance. HANRORO has explained in a previous interview that the song conveys the message, “I’m not going to abandon you. You feel the same way, don’t you?” Listeners often interpret its title as reflecting feelings of being insignificant or having little to offer.

Critics told Koreaboo that CORTIS’ money-focused use of the reference ignores that context. Others accused the group of misogynistic behavior, using the Korean term “hannam” to describe what they viewed as a sexist male attitude. Some posts also criticized fans who praised the line as funny while dismissing concerns about HANRORO.

International fans have pushed back against the criticism, describing the lyric as harmless wordplay rather than an insult. They said the words do not prove that CORTIS intended to mock or demean HANRORO.

The dispute follows a period of growing recognition for HANRORO. The Korea Times, citing its sister publication Hankook Ilbo, reported that her songs “Landing in Love” and “0+0” ranked first and second in Circle Chart’s 2026 first-half streaming rankings. No idol-group song from HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment or YG Entertainment appeared in the top five.

The outlet said HANRORO’s appeal spans generations, with listeners drawn to her self-written lyrics about surviving anxiety one day at a time. Her songs offer companionship rather than simple promises that everything will improve.

Meanwhile, The Korea Herald reported that CORTIS will release “GreenGreen_playextended” at midnight Monday to mark the group’s first anniversary. The expanded second EP adds “Pack It Up” and “MoneyMoneyMoney” to the six tracks on “GreenGreen.”

All five members, Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho, participated in writing and composing the new songs, according to Big Hit Music. Neither CORTIS nor HANRORO has publicly commented on the controversy.