ENHYPEN member Jay offered a second apology for his recent remarks comparing Korean history to a “short novel”, as well as for the “choice of words” in his first apology.
On January 10, the members of ENHANCE, Seonghoon and Jay, hosted a live broadcast on the Weverse fan community platform, where the duo discussed their recent studies of Korean history. According to a translation by Korea JoongAng Daily, the former told viewers he found the learning process “so funny,” sharing that he thought “everything is so well recorded.”
Jay then commented, “I like to study history, but there doesn’t seem to be much information about Korean history.” He also stated that the study of Korean history “ends in just a few weeks of study or cursory viewing,” and compared it to a “short novel.” “[The history of] other countries is endless. I have studied the histories of different countries, and they never end,” said the idol.
다른나라에 비해 한국사는 너무 짧아 단편소설 같다는 미국 출생 엔하이픈 제이 pic.twitter.com/VSo7a45PTa
— 깜찍이소다 2기 (@kkamzzikisoda) January 10, 2023
Later, the ENHYPEN member was criticized online by both fans and Korean netizens. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, some netizens have written on different platforms: “Please don’t say anything if you don’t have the proper knowledge,” as well as “If it’s that simple, try taking the state history test,” among other comments. .
After the disagreement, Jay went to the ENHANCE page on Weverse on January 11 to offer an official apology. “After I finished Weverse Live today, I was very surprised to see the fans’ reaction,” the statement said, according to a translation by Soompi. “Regardless of the reason, I sincerely apologize to ENGENE [ENHYPEN’s official fan base] for any discomfort and inconvenience I have caused.”
A week later, the K-pop idol later went to Weverse to offer a second apology for the incident, as well as for his “choice of words” in the first statement. “I should have been more careful when deciding what to say, and I also apologize for that,” reads a new statement released on January 18 and translated by Soompi.
“Using the wrong expressions and distorting our country’s long history when I don’t even have the vocabulary to properly express my apologetic feelings was truly thoughtless behavior.”
“I realized the severity of my mistake, reading the words of ENGENE and many people, and my heart sank. I felt like my mistake could turn into a huge problem, and reflected on my mistake,” Jay wrote. The singer also explained why he considers a second apology necessary, saying that “this is not a question that can be solved only by introspection.”… I needed to properly acknowledge my wrongdoing and offer another apology.”
He also admitted that his ideas are “still lacking,” telling his fans that he “will think about it more deeply, and I want to constantly show you my efforts with actions, not words.” “In the future, I will make an effort to become a careful person who listens to what many people say,” Jay concluded.
According to the HYBE 2022 annual briefing with the community held in November, Belift Lab shared plans for ENHANCE to release a new album this year after the completion of their current “Manifesto” world tour. Their global journey will take them to Thailand and the Philippines at the end of this month and the beginning of next month respectively.
