The Boyz member Hyunjae issued an apology following the release of his most recent vlog.
The IST Entertainment K-pop boy group is preparing for its upcoming comeback when one of its members hit a glitch. Originally, the agency scheduled The Boyz's return on Feb. 27 but moved it on Feb. 20.
Here's what happened to Hyunjae.
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Hyunjae Apologizes After Wearing Controversial Hat
On Feb. 3, The Boyz's official YouTube channel released a since-reuploaded vlog featuring Juyeon and Eric. The members recorded their visit to Tokyo and briefly showed Hyunjae on the frame.
Eagle-eyed internet users, however, noticed that the K-pop idol was wearing a hat with the Rising Sun flag on the side. The photo has been causing issues as the symbol is associated with Japanese imperialism.
People in Korea and other Asian countries believe it is also an emblem of Japan's wartime atrocities. Thus, it should reportedly be prohibited from being used.
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Hyunjae and IST Entertainment were both criticized for being insensitive. The incident caused the agency to edit the video and reupload it on the channel. It also issued an apology for "fueling worries."
The full statement reads:
Hello.
This is IST Entertainment.
In the content uploaded today, we confirmed the scene [of Hyunjae] wearing the hat with the pattern in question, so after deleting that scene, we’ve uploaded the video again.
The members tried on the hat without realizing the pattern in question and this problem arose as we uploaded this content without recognizing it ourselves.
In the future, we will be more cautious to ensure that this kind of issue is not repeated.
We apologize for causing concern.
Similar Incident Happened to VIXX
Before Hyunjae sparked controversy, the members of Jellyfish Entertainment's boy group VIXX also faced similar criticisms during their trip to Japan.
Ravi and N were spotted wearing the hats on the 14th episode of VIXX TV. The hats also have words that mean "Japan Is #1." At that time, the agency also released an apology statement and assured it would not happen again.
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