"I should not have spoken so thoughtlessly": ENHYPHEN’s Jay apologizes after backlash for belittling comment on Korean History

K-Pop powerhouse ENHYPHEN’s idol Jay has come into the limelight, but it is not positive this time. The artist recently commented on Korean history and called it a short story. This was not taken well by netizens and sparked massive backlash.

In light of the insensitive comment and the criticism that came with it, Jay issued an apology, expressing his sincere regret for his unmindfulness.

Recently on Weverse Live, a discussion ensued between members of ENHYPHEN after idol Sunghoon remarked that he finds Korean history interesting. Sharing his thoughts on this, Jay said that he is more interested in world history as it is more vast and interesting. Additionally, he said that Korean history is like a short story. He said:

"History is a subject I'm pretty into, so for me, I might say that there's not a lot of material in Korean history. You study it for a few weeks, look through what little material there is, and it's over. It's like a short story."

He continued:

"But in other countries, there's no end to the history. I've looked into the histories of all kinds of different countries, and there's no end to the rich histories. Those countries, their histories go on and on and on. But Korean history just starts, then ends, so fast. It's like, that's it?"

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“I spoke too carelessly about such an important topic as Korean history”: ENHYPHEN’s Jay expresses sincere regret for his unmindful comment

ENHYPHEN’s 20-year-old idol Jay was on the receiving end of criticism for his disparaging comments on the rich Korean history. However, the idol soon realized his folly and expressed his sincere apology in a heartfelt letter he posted on Weverse.

In the letter, he expressed his shock at everyone's responses and apologized for hurting the sentiments of ENGENEs (ENHYPHEN fans) by undermining Korean heritage and history. The letter read:

“Hello, this is ENHYPEN's Jay. After today's Weverse Live, I was totally shocked by everyone's responses. Regardless of the reason, I want to genuinely apologize for causing discomfort in the hearts of ENGENEs.”

He also acknowledged his shortcomings and lack of knowledge. The vocalist said that he was too unmindful while remarking on such an important subject, and his comment was based entirely on his limited knowledge. He said:

“I spoke too carelessly about such an important topic as Korean history, based solely on my personal impression. I should not have spoken so thoughtlessly with the little knowledge that I have on the topic. Once again, this was a time for me to realize how much more I have to learn.”

ENHYPHEN’s vocalist then clarified his intentions and promised to educate himself on Korea’s history and heritage properly to avoid repeating such a mistake.

“I never intended to speak lightly of our country's proud history, but I see now that my comments could very well have come across that way, and that is my mistake. I apologize. I will be more careful and study as to become an artist who is not an embarrassment to ENGENEs.”

Jay is also known for holding dual citizenship as he is part American.