‘Hidden Eye’ apologizes for mistakenly using Stray Kids Hyunjin’s childhood photo

The production team behind MBC Every1’s variety program 'Hidden Eye' has apologized after mistakenly using a childhood photo of Hyunjin during a broadcast.

On May 26 KST, the show’s producers told local media that they would “make every effort to prevent a recurrence” regarding the improper use of the image.

The controversy stems from an episode titled “Live Issue: Christmas Murder Case,” which originally aired on Dec. 8, 2025. The issue recently resurfaced after online communities and social media users pointed out that a childhood photo shown in the program belonged to Hyunjin.

During the broadcast, the production team mistakenly identified Hyunjin’s childhood photo as an image of a murder victim from the case being discussed. Although the image had been partially mosaicked, viewers quickly recognized it and raised concerns online.

After confirming the issue, the production team immediately made the episode and related YouTube clips private. They also stated that the OTT replay service would either be edited or removed from platforms.

The producers explained, “We belatedly confirmed that a photo of Stray Kids’ Hyunjin had been used. During the production process, while using images stored on a device previously used by the victim, Hyunjin’s childhood photo was mistakenly identified as the victim’s image and was inserted incorrectly.”

They added, “We sincerely apologize to Hyunjin and the fans for causing concern through this incident. We also deeply apologize to viewers for the confusion.” The team further promised to strengthen its verification and review procedures to prevent similar mistakes in the future.