ENHYPEN's Ni-ki is under fire for his comments about South Korea's Independence Day. Also known as Independence Movement Day, it is an important historical day in South Korea. Quoting from KBIZoom, Ni-ki initially uploaded an encouraging message to his fans via Weverse, precisely on Thursday February 29, 2024.
Because the next day was Friday, he asked fans to keep their spirits up because the weekend would soon be over. “ As long as you hang in there for tomorrow, it'll be the weekend... Cheers Engene. Hehe ," wrote Ni-ki. The next day that Ni-ki refers to is March 1, 2024, which is a national holiday in South Korea.
This day aims to commemorate the March 1 Independence Movement which occurred in 1919. A fan also told Ni-ki that March 1 was a holiday, then the idol replied that he felt jealous. " Yeah, tomorrow is Independence Day, so we get a day off, " the fan wrote. " Oh, I feel jealous (envy), " answered Ni-ki.
This moment is an important part of South Korean history. The March 1 Movement was a protest carried out by Korean citizens in 1919 against Japanese colonial rule. More than a thousand protests erupted across the country, resulting in approximately 7,500 deaths. After Korean independence, March 1, 2024 was declared a national holiday.
Things get worse because Ni-ki is of Japanese descent. Many South Koreans believe that Japan should be reflective and regret the Japanese occupation of South Korea. Shortly after that, Ni-ki deleted the post and wrote an apology via Weverse.
" Hello. This is Niki. I apologize for my carelessness regarding March 1 Independence Movement Day, an important anniversary for the country. I realized my mistake and immediately deleted the post. I will be more careful in the future, " he wrote. Even though Ni-ki has released an apology, netizens still criticize the singer of the song 'Bite Me'.
" HYBE, educate your artists, " wrote one netizen. " If companies want foreign idols to promote in Korea, they must teach them basic knowledge about Korean history, especially Japanese idols, " said another netizen. " This group is ridiculous.
From mocking Korean history to envying Koreans for having a holiday on Independence Day, " another netizen chimed in. Considering the history of Korea's colonization by Japan, incidents like this often receive strong reactions. This is not the first time ENHYPEN has experienced such controversy. Previously, Jay also came under fire for calling Korean history "like a short novel".
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