As the concert of American hip-hop star Kanye West in Korea has been canceled, the organizing company has made a statement that has caught attention.
The organizing company for Kanye West's concert 'BULLY' Channel Candy announced on their official SNS on the 20th, "On May 19, 2025, we received a unilateral notification of contract termination from the host company Coupang Play, and we confirmed that a ticket refund notice was posted through other media."
They added, "We have officially communicated our position to the host and are waiting for a response. We will respond responsibly until the end to minimize confusion and rectify the situation."
They also expressed, "We sincerely apologize to everyone who was looking forward to the concert."
Originally, West's concert 'BULLY' was scheduled to be held on the 31st at Incheon Munhak Stadium. This concert was highly anticipated by Korean fans as it was his first solo concert in 9 years since the 2016 world tour, with a live performance of the new song 'BULLY' also announced.
However, the hosting company Coupang Play announced on the 19th, "Due to West's recent controversies, the 'YE (Kanye West) concert' scheduled for the 31st has been unfortunately canceled." This action is interpreted as a response to the global controversy surrounding West's recent praise of German dictator Adolf Hitler and anti-Semitic remarks. The sale of concert merchandise has also been halted.
On the 8th, which is the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, West released a new single titled 'Hail Hitler.' In response, major global streaming platforms like Spotify blocked the distribution of the song.
The lyrics of the song repeatedly state, "All my friends are Nazis. Hail Hitler," and a sampled portion of Hitler's speech is included at the end, causing controversy.
Additionally, in a 2022 interview, West stated, "I like Hitler," and released an image combining the Nazi symbol, the swastika, and the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, which also sparked outrage.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
