The group Kiss of Life has apologized for a racism controversy.
On the 3rd, their agency S2 Entertainment issued an official statement saying, "We apologize for using expressions and styles that follow stereotypes of a specific race in the birthday content uploaded yesterday (2nd)."
Kiss of Life held a live broadcast to celebrate member Julie's birthday on the 2nd. The members, who appeared in an old-school hip-hop style, were criticized by international fans for seemingly mimicking the speech and gestures of Black individuals, raising concerns about racism.
The agency reflected, "The content was produced based on the old-school hip-hop style as indicated, and we intended to express that atmosphere in a way that respects this culture. However, we did not fully recognize that it could be perceived as reinforcing stereotypes about a specific race."
They added, "We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable because of this. The members are also taking this matter seriously, and we will approach cultural elements more carefully and with greater respect in the future. Accordingly, all related content will be deleted."
Meanwhile, Kiss of Life, which debuted in 2023, has been active with songs such as 'Sticky', 'Midas Touch', 'Get Loud', and 'Bad News', and was also noted last year as the 'Next Generation Water Bomb Goddess'.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
