Son Ye Jin posted a video of herself eating a cheese stick along with the caption, “Finally got to eat it… It’s delicious.” In the clip, she casually enjoys the food while stretching out a long strand of melted cheese. Her relaxed appearance offers a more approachable side of the actress, contrasting with the image she often presents in her acting projects.
The unexpected mukbang from Son Ye Jin, often dubbed the “Nation’s First Love,” quickly spread online and drew a wide range of reactions. Compared with the elegant and polished image she usually displays as an actress, many viewers found her relaxed way of enjoying the food cute and down-to-earth.
However, alongside comments calling her “cute” and “down-to-earth,” some people began criticizing Son Ye Jin’s table manners. In particular, they argued that the smacking sounds heard while she was eating were excessive and unpleasant. As more viewers said they were bothered by the sounds in the video rather than the way she was eating itself, the discussion escalated into a broader debate about dining etiquette.
The controversy grew further after claims circulated on Threads that some Japanese netizens were criticizing Son Ye Jin’s mukbang and using it to make broader comments about Korean dining etiquette.
One Japanese netizen reportedly shared Son Ye Jin’s video and commented, “So even women eat while making smacking noises.” Other users joined the discussion with remarks such as, “China and Korea have an image of people eating noisily,” and “It’s a country that is tolerant of people making smacking sounds while eating,” turning the conversation into a debate about Korean dining culture.
In response, some Korean netizens criticized Son Ye Jin’s eating habits, leaving comments such as, “Now Koreans as a whole are being mocked,” “Please eat with your mouth closed,” and “It doesn’t look pleasant.”
On the other hand, others defended the actress, pointing out that the nature of the recording may have made the sounds of eating seem louder than they actually were. Some also questioned whether a simple mukbang clip warranted such intense scrutiny over table manners, leaving online opinion divided.
Meanwhile, Son Ye Jin appeared in the Netflix original series The Scandal, which was released on September 18.
Sources: Daum