Tzuyu Faces Pressure From China: Public Interest in TWICE Surges on K-POPIT BOARD

More than a decade into its career, K-pop girl group TWICE has reached another turning point. Tzuyu has again been drawn into a political controversy, while Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung have left JYP Entertainment to pursue individual careers. As changes pile up around the group, public attention has surged in Korea and overseas.

According to the K-pop analytics index K-POPIT BOARD on Sept. 3, TWICE ranked No. 5 domestically with a PWR(KR) score of 65.5 and No. 4 globally with a PWR(GL) score of 63.3. The group posted momentum scores of 69.4 domestically and 67.8 globally, suggesting that the attention was not confined to one market.

The most striking figure, however, was a 5,316 percent increase in the D-tier, which reflects interest among the general public rather than the core fandom. On the domestic chart, the acts ranked above TWICE posted smaller D-tier increases: Girls' Generation rose by 910 percent, BTS by 530 percent and ATEEZ by 198 percent. Even compared with those acts, TWICE's surge stands out.

The increase appears to be linked in part to a new political controversy involving Taiwanese member Tzuyu. Taiwanese outlets Mirror Media and FTV reported on Aug. 31 that Zhao Xiaowei, an entertainment industry figure who has helped Taiwanese celebrities work in China, had approached Tzuyu's family about possible activities in mainland China.

According to the reports, public support for the "One China" position and a statement that Taiwanese people are Chinese were presented as conditions for assistance with her activities. In return, Tzuyu would reportedly receive support in securing opportunities with major Chinese broadcasters and entertainment agencies. Zhao denied that the contact was politically motivated and said no formal agreement had been reached.

Tzuyu first faced backlash from China was in 2015 after waving a Taiwanese flag on a Korean television program. The following year, she appeared in a public apology video and said, "There is only one China." Critics argued at the time that a minor had been pressured into making a political statement. As a similar controversy resurfaced more than a decade later, the earlier incident returned to public attention.

The controversy may help explain why TWICE's D-tier increased far more sharply than its overall ranking. The group's long-established mainstream recognition may have allowed the issue to spread quickly beyond its fandom, while the sensitive questions of nationality and identity gave the controversy broader public relevance. Many people appeared to view it as more than an individual member's overseas career matter.

The members' recent career decisions provided another source of public interest. Jeongyeon left JYP Entertainment and signed with Baro Entertainment, while Chaeyoung announced that she would leave the agency to build her own musical career. Both said they would continue participating in TWICE activities.

Tzuyu's future has also come under scrutiny amid reports about her contract status. JYP Entertainment has said TWICE is in its contract-renewal period and that it will announce details once decisions are finalized. For a group with TWICE's level of public recognition, the prospect of its nine members pursuing individual careers under different agencies has become a mainstream story rather than an issue limited to fans.

The stream of coverage helps explain TWICE's media attention score, or MAS, of 85.3. Reports about the political controversy surrounding Tzuyu and the members' contracts kept the group in the headlines. Its fandom health index, FHI, stood at 79.6, suggesting that the fandom remained active even as members began moving to different agencies. The VCR score of 56.3 also indicates that the surge in attention was driven more by news developments than by a sharp increase in music streaming.

More than a decade after their debut, the career decisions of TWICE members remain matters of public interest, while the reported pressure on Tzuyu has revived a political controversy dating back to her teens. The 5,316 percent rise in the D-tier captures both sides of the moment: TWICE's lasting reach among the public and the speed at which a sensitive political issue can amplify that attention.