Junhan, a member of the band EXID (hereafter referred to as EXID), has apologized for his controversial eugenics-related remarks.
On the 29th, Junhan posted a handwritten apology on EXID's official SNS account, stating, "I sincerely apologize for the great hurt and discomfort my careless remarks have caused many people."
Realizing that the content I mentioned contained biased views, Junhan expressed, "I deeply reflect on this and bow my head in apology to those who were hurt and felt discomfort due to my lack of historical and social awareness and sensitivity."
He added, "From now on, I will continuously learn and change to act based on correct knowledge. I will be more cautious and responsible in my words and actions, taking this incident as a lesson."
Previously, Junhan showed interest in a fan's message on a fan communication platform regarding research on gene amplification, asking, "With gene amplification technology, can we amplify only the genes that are good for treating diseases?"
He also mentioned, "I've heard that Black people have more cells in their ears, which gives them good hearing. I was really envious that they are good at music. Combining the advantages of races, like the excellent carbohydrate breakdown ability of whites and the physical abilities and intelligence of blacks and Asians, including Indians," listing his thoughts.
Once these remarks became known, criticism arose in various online communities, labeling them as eugenically biased thinking.
Eugenics is a pseudoscientific theory that suggests improving the genetic quality of humanity by selecting and enhancing superior genetic traits through methods like breeding (the process of evolving and modifying humans into desired forms).
In relation to this, his agency, JYP Entertainment, also issued an apology, stating, "We sincerely bow our heads in apology to everyone who was hurt by Junhan's careless remarks on the fan communication platform."
JYP stated, "Junhan takes this matter very seriously and is genuinely reflecting on the great hurt and disappointment caused by his careless words and actions. We also feel responsible for the lack of education provided to our artists."
They continued, "We will pay more attention to prevent such incidents from happening again and will thoroughly educate our artists on social awareness, sensitivity, and delicate public communication methods," emphasizing, "We will do our best to show a mature image with the right values."
EXID is a six-member boy band that debuted in December 2021. It is the first band introduced by Studio J under JYP in about six years since Day6. Junhan serves as the lead guitarist in the team.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
