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On March 12, 2025, Jackson Wang appeared on the Daebak Show, where he addressed a viral video from years ago that had sparked controversy. The clip, recorded at a fashion event in Europe in 2019, showed Jackson allegedly responding to a greeting in Korean by saying, “I’m Chinese.”
Over the years, this moment led to debates, with some critics accusing Jackson Wang of seemingly being dismissive towards Korean fans despite rising to fame in South Korea as a member of GOT7.
During his conversation with host Eric Nam, Jackson Wang explained that he was unaware the video had become an issue until two years after it surfaced. Recalling the incident, he said that he had been walking towards his hotel when someone repeatedly asked why he wasn’t speaking Korean. As already greeted fans in multiple languages that day, he responded simply by stating his nationality. He said,
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"Do you think I'm a person that when people say 'annyeonghaseyo' or 'bonjour' to me, I wouldn't accept that? I was walking on the street to my hotel or wherever, and this person asked me like, more than 10 times. I had said 'annyeonghaseyo', 'bonjour' and 'konnichiwa' to everyone there because there was an international audience."
He continued,
"After I had greeted everyone in multiple languages, that person asked me "why don't you speak Korean?" And I am like, 'Because I'm Chinese'. Where am I supposed to say I'm from?....Hey, I'm Singaporean."
As the clip from the show went viral, fans took to social media to agree with the singer. They also questioned why it was an issue in the first place. An X user, @TWRWJE wrote,
"Exactly! It's the way ppl somehow got allergic as if they can't listen to the word "Chinese" it's so stupid that this was even an issue."
Others too joined in saying that stating one's nationality is nothing wrong and that the issue was taken negatively for no reason.
"NO it’s not an issue! Most ICONIC JACKSON WANG MOMENT YOU TELL THEM WHERE YOU’RE FROM BABY!!!" an X user added.
"Seems he has to borderline apologise for being Chinese," a fan remarked.
"I hated the reactions to that clip so much. It still goes around YouTube Shorts, IG Reels and TikTok and the posters have no idea of the context, they just use it for views, it's infuriating," an X user wrote.
Many also stated how the clip still circulates on the internet and people still call Jackson Wang out because of that.
"and I still have to see a bunch of donkeys talking bad about him because of this video," a netizen added.
"and there's still a lot of koreans (in the kr forums, at least) that h8 him bc they think he's arrogant by saying he's Chinese . i saw comments on pann during nanana and even this recent cb. LIKE PLEASE LET HIM LIVE," another person added.
More from Jackson Wang on the Daebak show and his solo activities
Jackson Wang further expressed confusion over why his words had been taken negatively, questioning what else he was supposed to say about where he was from. He also pointed out that the person asking the question was not even Korean.
Jackson Wang admitted that he had considered whether he should publicly explain the situation earlier but felt it would be odd to bring up something so old without context. Later on in the show, the idol also reflected on fame, saying that an artist’s career can be unpredictable and that controversies, even ones as trivial as this, can sometimes spiral out of control.
In the end, Jackson Wang stated that he would continue being himself, regardless of public perception.
Beyond addressing past controversies, Jackson Wang is currently focusing on his music. His latest single, High Alone, was released on February 12, 2025, as the first glimpse into his upcoming album, MAGIC MAN 2. The track explores themes of loneliness and self-reflection. It also continues the emotional storytelling that began with his 2022 album, Magic Man.
Jackson Wang's upcoming album, MAGIC MAN 2, is set for release later in 2025. It will follow the success of Magic Man, which debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and showcased a new experimental sound for the artist.
