ENHYPEN’s Jay shares second apology over controversial remarks about Korean history: “It was thoughtless behaviour”

ENHYPEN member Jay has issued a second apology regarding his recent remarks comparing Korean history to a “short novel” as well as for his “choice of words” in his first apology.

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On January 10, ENHYPEN members Sunghoon and Jay held a livestream on fan community platform Weverse, where the duo discussed their recent studies of Korean history. The former told viewers that he found the learning process “so fun”, sharing that he thought “everything is recorded so well”, according to translations by Korea JoongAng Daily. 

Jay then commented, “I like studying history but it seems like there’s not much information about Korean history.” He also claimed that studying Korean history “comes to an end within just a few weeks of studying or skimming through”, and likened it to a “short novel”. “[History in] other countries is endless. I’ve studied all sorts of countries’ histories and they never end,” the idol said.

다른나라에 비해 한국사는 너무 짧아 단편소설 같다는 미국 출생 엔하이픈 제이 pic.twitter.com/VSo7a45PTa

— 깜찍이소다 2기 (@kkamzzikisoda) January 10, 2023

The ENHYPEN member was later criticised online by fans and Korean netizens alike. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, some netizens wrote across various platforms: “Please do not say anything if you don’t have proper knowledge” as well as “If it’s so easy, you should try taking the state history test”, among other comments.

Following the controversy, Jay took to ENHYPEN’s Weverse page on January 11 to issue an official apology. “After I concluded the Weverse Live today, I was very surprised to see fans’ reactions,” the statement read, according to translations by Soompi. “Regardless of the reason, I sincerely apologise to ENGENE [ENHYPEN’s official fanbase] for any discomfort and inconveniences that I have caused.”

A week later, the K-pop idol later took to Weverse to issue a second apology regarding the incident as well as his “choice of words” in the first statement. “I should have been more careful in deciding what to say, and I apologise for this as well,” the new statement, shared on January 18 and translated by Soompi, read.

“Using the wrong expressions and misrepresenting our nation’s long history when I don’t even have the vocabulary to properly express my apologetic feelings was truly thoughtless behaviour.”

“I realised the weight of my mistake while reading the words of ENGENE and many people, and my heart ached. I felt how my mistake could grow into a huge problem, and I reflected on my mistake,” Jay wrote. The singer also explained why he felt a second apology was necessary, saying that “this wasn’t a matter could be solved only by self-reflection… I needed to properly acknowledge my wrongdoing and make another apology.”

He also acknowledged that his ideas were “still lacking”, telling his fans that he will “ponder it more deeply, and I want to consistently show you my efforts through actions rather than words”. “I will make an effort in the future to become a careful person who listens to what many people have to say,” Jay concluded.

According to the annual ‘2022 HYBE Briefing with the Community’ held in November, Belift Lab shared plans for ENHYPEN to drop a new album this year following the conclusion of their ongoing ‘Manifesto’ world tour. Their global trek will take them to Thailand and the Philippines later this month and early next month respectively.

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