Album X spells trouble as member EXID's Hani's hairstyle comes under fire in another instance of cultural appropriation in K-pop

K-pop group EXID faced backlash for Hani's box braid hairstyle in the music video for their title track, Fire. The group released their tenth-anniversary album, X, and created much anticipation amongst fans. However, the teaser for the video immediately sparked uproar on social media, with netizens calling out the group and the agency for cultural appropriation. The braided hairstyle is specific to the Black community, and thus using it carelessly in a video has prompted voices of protest.

Post the release of the music video, fans could see that the company blurred out Hani's hair. Many expressed satisfaction that the company paid heed to the social media upheaval.

Some continued to criticize the move, stating that the braids should not have been there in the first place.

EXID is a South Korean girl group formed in 2012. The group currently consists of five members: Solji, LE, Hani, Hyelin, and Jeonghwa.

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Cultural appropriation is gaining traction in the K-pop industry

Cultural appropriation, especially that of the African-American communities, has been a topic of huge debate in K-pop. Idols have been called out for braiding their hair in a specific way or for sporting an Afro.

Cultural appropriation is defined as the unacknowledged and uninformed adaptation of localized customs, practices, and ideas by a distinct and, more specifically, dominant community.

According to Prof Lee Gyu Tag, a professor of Cultural Studies at George Mason University in Korea, the issues stem from the idea of Koreans wanting to see their culture expand worldwide without a will to learn about other countries.

"The lack of reciprocity often explains why we keep seeing cultural appropriation – imitating another culture without showing respect or understanding – in K-pop".

He noted that despite companies releasing apologies, idols and production teams perpetuate the same treatment. He further explains that Koreans are still very ignorant regarding the issue.

" For instance, K-pop is heavily influenced by African - American culture, but hardly anyone in Korea knows or really cares about that. I doubt that the K-pop idols know much about the African - American roots of the music and fashion they present. "

He also mentioned how western countries with diverse populations focus on education to raise awareness about other indigenous cultures. The same cannot be said for Korea, which is known as a homogeneous nation. He notes:

"On top of that, as a relatively homogeneous nation, it's harder for Koreans to grasp how much black culture and heritage mean to the African American community, and thus why imitating other cultures without much thought is so offensive. "

Momoland's Daisy also stated in an interview how the sudden and unexpected rise of K-pop's popularity might have had something to do with the repeated instances of such offenses. Companies in Korea were not ready for the global fandoms and proceeded with whatever knowledge they possessed. Daisy notes:

"For me, we didn’t have very much creative space because the company would have a whole plan and would have everything in mind already. So, everything would mostly just be handed to you. We wouldn’t really have a say in what we wanted to do."

Daisy further adds:

"I feel like maybe K-Pop wasn’t ready for that (the popularity). Because it all happened so fast, it was just all of a sudden it became so big. I think there needed to be a stepping stone in the middle so people could become more aware of different cultures."

She also stated that idols hardly have much say in the content they endorse. Fans have, thus, been willing to educate idols instead of bashing them. Idols, too, have been courteous and apologized for their often racist actions.

New K-pop groups have now started engaging with the epidemic of cultural appropriation. Hopefully, with more such discussions, the K-pop industry, and our society at large, will be open to a plethora of cultures.

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EXID debuted in February 2012 with the single Whoz That Girl. Additionally, Banana Culture Entertainment manages the group.