ATEEZ’s label apologizes after group member San filmed singing controversial song ‘Curry’
By Bryan Ke
July 10, 2023
KQ Entertainment, the label of South Korean boy band ATEEZ, recently issued an apology after the group’s vocalist San was filmed singing and dancing to the controversial K-pop song “Curry.”
Key details: KQ Entertainment addressed the issue in a tweet on Sunday, explaining that San, 24, had “no specific intent with their actions” when he was filmed singing and dancing to K-pop duo Norazo’s 2010 song “Curry” for an MBC “Idol Radio” behind-the-scenes video that was widely shared online on Saturday.
“We will work diligently to establish a management system that better educates and prevents recurrence of such actions so that we do not cause any worries to our fans in the future,” the label stated.
Another apology: Similarly, MBC’s “Idol Radio” also apologized for “causing discomfort to viewers all around the world” with the video.
Like KQ Entertainment’s statement, the radio show noted that it did not have any negative intentions, adding, “we feel deeply responsible for not checking this during the inspection process,” as per Soompi.
What happened: Although the controversial footage was released over the weekend, the incident reportedly occurred while ATEEZ were “Idol Radio” guest stars on June 21.
The boy band purportedly started joking about San serving as a DJ on the radio show, resulting in them calling him DJ San. ATEEZ member Yunho can then be heard saying “shanti,” which is Sanskrit for “peace,” to the tune of “Curry.”
San repeats Yunho’s words and then starts singing and dancing. While this is happening, ATEEZ member Yeosang can be seen staring at San with a seemingly uncomfortable expression.
Why it’s offensive: “Curry” has reportedly faced scrutiny over the years for its portrayal of South Asians in both its lyrics and music video.
Norazo member Jobin eventually apologized for the song in July 2020 after SEVENTEEN members Wonwoo, Vernon and DK were criticized for singing “Curry” in an episode of “Going Seventeen.”
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