Chaeyoung, a member of K-pop girl group TWICE, has apologized after she was called out for wearing a t-shirt with a swastika symbol, which is closely associated with the Nazis.
On March 21, Chaeyoung, 23, posted photos on Instagram showing her wearing a t-shirt depicting English rock band Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious who is wearing a shirt with the swastika printed on it.
TWICE's Chaeyoung wearing the t-shirt with the swastika symbol (Instagram)
The t-shirt being sold online (Photos from Teesaleus.com)
As she faced criticism for wearing the t-shirt, Chaeyoung issued an apology on Instagram to say that she didn’t recognize the meaning of the swastika.
“I sincerely apologize regarding the Instagram post. I didn't correctly recognize the meaning of the tilted swastika in the t-shirt I wore,” she said.
She added, “I deeply apologize for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again. Sincerely apologize again.”
JYP Entertainment, TWICE’s agency, also issued an apology, saying, “Regarding Chaeyoung's Instagram post, we sincerely apologize for not correctly recognizing the meaning of the tilted swastika in the t-shirt.”
“We deeply apologize for not thoroughly reviewing it from the label side, being absolutely responsible for this situation. In this regard, we will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent this situation from reoccurring from our side as well. Sincerely apologize again,” it said.
Teesaleus, a website selling t-shirts, is cashing in on the controversy by describing the t-shirt as “chaeyoung swastika sid vicious sex pistols t shirt-Women T-Shirt.” It is being sold for $23.95.
In February 2021, then K-pop girl group GFriend leader Sowon was criticized after she posted photos on Instagram showing her hugging and adoring a Nazi mannequin in a cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea.
Source Music apologized for the incident but the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), Australia’s leading civil rights organization, criticized Sowon and said she should issue an apology and learn about The Holocaust, a genocide during World War II led by Germany’s Nazi leader Adolf Hitler that killed six million Jews.
“This so-called apology is simply not enough. Sowon has to explain why she posed with a mannequin whose insignia represents pure evil and inhumanity, and the extermination of six million Jews and millions of others,” said Dr. Dvir Abramovich, ADC chairman.