After facing allegations of sexual objectification against its girl group, (G)I-DLE, Cube Entertainment has issued an official statement addressing the situation.
On July 19, the leader of the 4th generation of K-pop appeared on KBS2’s “Music Bank”to showcase their latest comeback song, Klaxon, which had been released on the 8th.
On that particular day, they flaunted their slender summer figures in crop tops and shorts. However, what captivated the audience’s interest the most were the specific elements of their attire, featuring the phrases “LIFEGUARD”and the recognizable red cross emblem.
The controversy over sexual objectification was sparked immediately since their crop tops exposed their navels and their shorts revealed their legs.
Upon encountering this, K-netizens reacted with the following:
- “Why on earth would they make them wear clothes like that?”
- “This is how you sexually exploit the Red Cross?”
- “I can’t cheer them on because of those clothes”
- “Wear clothes like clothes should”
- “I knew this would be a problem.”
Many internet users expressed their concerns on different social media platforms and online communities, which eventually caught the attention of the Korean Red Cross. They responded by stating:
“We have never received any inquiries from the agency regarding approval for the use of the emblem. It does not appear that the Red Cross emblem was used intentionally, so we will check the relevant details and request measures to prevent a recurrence.”
The primary issue at hand is the strict prohibition by the Red Cross against unauthorized use of its logo. In fact, they recently launched a campaign in May to safeguard its use, and anyone who violates this rule may face a hefty fine of up to 10 million ($7.21K).
In 2023, the Red Cross has already registered trademarks for their emblem in three categories of products: medicines, medical devices, and hospitals and pharmacies.
Fortunately, the Korea Red Cross did not impose a fine, but instead requested that the agency take steps to prevent a similar incident from happening again. In response, Cube issued a formal apology and promised to actively discuss and implement follow-up measures.
Hello, this is Cube Entertainment. We would like to inform you about the stage costumes of (G)I-DLE for “Klaxon” on KBS 2TV’s “Music Bank” that aired on July 19th. We are aware that there was a problem with the stage costumes, and we have contacted the Korean Red Cross to apologize and are actively discussing preventive measures and follow-up measures. We are…
— CUBE ENTERTAINMENT (@cubeunited) July 22, 2024
“Hello,
This is Cube Entertainment.
We would like to inform you regarding (G)I-DLE’s stage costumes during their stage for ‘Klaxon’ on KB 2TV’s ‘Music Bank’ aired on July 19.
We acknowledge that there was a problem with the stage outfits and we already reached out to the Korean Red Cross to extend our apology.
We are actively discussing measures to prevent a recurrence and follow-up measures after the apology.
Again, we would like to apologize to everyone whom we caused inconveniences following this matter.
We also express our sincere gratitude to the fans who always showed a lot of interest and support for (G)-IDLE.
Thank you.”
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