LE SSERAFIM’s Yunjin has become the subject of an online lip-syncing debate following the group’s performance at the 2026 K-World Dream Awards.
The annual awards ceremony took place on August 27, with LE SSERAFIM among the artists recognized during the event. The group received multiple honors, including the “Best Artist – Female” Daesang, before taking the stage to perform two songs. While many fans were excited to see the group perform, footage from the event has prompted some viewers to question whether Yunjin was singing live during part of the performance.
The clip circulating online shows Yunjin briefly moving her microphone away from her mouth while the backing track continues to play. She then brings the microphone back toward her mouth, but viewers noted that the apparent volume of the vocals does not seem to change significantly during the brief movement. This has led some online users to allege that the vocals were pre-recorded and that Yunjin was lip-syncing during the performance.
However, the footage alone does not establish conclusively whether she was fully lip-syncing, singing over a pre-recorded vocal track, or using another form of performance backing.
Other fans have pushed back against the criticism, pointing out that backing tracks were reportedly used by multiple artists throughout the awards ceremony. The use of backing vocals or prerecorded elements is common in large-scale K-pop performances, particularly at televised award shows where choreography, staging and technical production are involved. As a result, the presence of a backing track by itself does not necessarily prove that an artist was not singing live.
The debate has nevertheless gained attention because LE SSERAFIM have previously faced intense scrutiny over their live vocals.
LE SSERAFIM’s live performances have been heavily analyzed online in the past, with the members receiving criticism over their vocal performances. That scrutiny has at times gone beyond performance-related discussion and resulted in malicious comments directed toward individual members.
The group’s performances have consequently continued to attract close attention, with online viewers frequently examining footage for evidence of live singing, backing vocals or lip-syncing. In Yunjin’s latest case, however, there has been no official confirmation that she was lip-syncing during the K-World Dream Awards performance.
For now, the footage has sparked differing reactions among viewers, with some convinced by the lip-syncing allegations and others arguing that the use of backing tracks is normal for award-show performances.
Sources: Koreaboo