Hyunjin Photo Misuse: Hidden Eye Team Apologizes Over Victim Image Error

The Hyunjin Photo Misuse controversy centers on a December 8, 2025 episode of MBC Every1’s crime documentary program “Hidden Eye,” in which a childhood photo of Stray Kids member Hyunjin was mistakenly used in a segment about the “Christmas Murder Case.” The production team later acknowledged the error, apologized to Hyunjin and his fans, and said the related broadcast and YouTube clip had been made private after fact-checking. ¹

The issue drew attention after an older “Hidden Eye” episode resurfaced online, with viewers noticing that Hyunjin’s image had been presented as a victim’s childhood photo in a crime-case segment. Koreaboo reported on May 26, 2026, that fans criticized the use of an idol’s photo in that context before the program team issued its clarification. ²

Hyunjin Photo Misuse Clarified by Hidden Eye Team

현진 피해자사진 오용 Hidden Eye apology Seoul broadcast concept

The production team’s clarification identified the error as a mistaken use of a childhood photo of Hyunjin during coverage of the “Christmas Murder Case.” In its statement, the team said, “The photo in question was used because… a childhood photo of Hyunjin was mistakenly used.” ¹

The team also offered an apology, saying, “We sincerely apologize for causing concern to Stray Kids’ Hyunjin and his fans.” ¹ The statement did not frame the use of the image as intentional, and the available source material does not include any additional comment from Hyunjin, Stray Kids, or their agency.

The program team said the disputed broadcast and YouTube clip were made private after fact-checking. It also said replay-service content would either be modified or made private, indicating that the production response included both removal from public access and planned corrections to distributed versions of the episode. ¹

Episode Linked to December 2025 Crime Segment

The episode at the center of the controversy aired on December 8, 2025, and was connected to the “Christmas Murder Case” segment later cited in the production team’s clarification. iMBC’s pre-broadcast coverage described “Hidden Eye” as a crime-analysis commentary program using materials such as CCTV, bodycam footage, and dashcam footage to examine incidents. ³

The December 8 broadcast preview said the episode would cover the Sacheon Christmas murder case involving a teenage perpetrator and a female peer victim. That preview is significant because it establishes the case context for the segment in which the mistaken photo use later became an issue. ³

A separate iMBC preview published on December 5, 2025, said the December 8 episode would include a “Live Issue” segment on the Sacheon Christmas murder case. The preview described the case as involving a distorted fixation toward a female peer that led to a killing. ⁴

MBC’s official VOD page lists episode 63 of “Hidden Eye” under the title “크리스마스 선물을 미끼로 피해자를 불러낸 17살 살인범,” which translates to “A 17-Year-Old Murderer Who Lured the Victim With a Christmas Gift.” The page identifies the program as “히든아이” and appears as an official MBC replay page requiring age verification. ⁵

Backlash, Removal, and Current Status

The controversy developed after online viewers and fans connected Hyunjin’s childhood image to the victim-photo presentation in the crime segment. The source material describes the reaction as criticism of the production error and of the use of a well-known idol’s photo in a sensitive crime-case context. ²

The confirmed corrective actions are limited to the production team’s stated measures: the broadcast and YouTube clip were made private after fact-checking, and replay-service content would be modified or made private. ¹ The source material does not provide a full technical explanation of how the photo entered the production process, nor does it state whether any additional internal review or disciplinary action followed.

The available reporting also does not identify the victim by name in the photo-use clarification, and it does not provide further details about the image sourcing process beyond the production team’s acknowledgment that Hyunjin’s childhood photo was mistakenly used. In a case involving both a real crime victim and a public figure, the confirmed record remains focused on the broadcast error, the apology, and the content-removal status.

Hyunjin Photo Misuse Hidden Eye apology media briefing concept

The Hyunjin Photo Misuse case remains a broadcast-production controversy tied to a specific “Hidden Eye” crime segment aired on December 8, 2025. Based on the available sources, the program team has acknowledged the mistaken photo use, apologized, and moved the related broadcast and online content out of public view while replay-service materials are modified or made private.