Yeonjun expressed regret for his Instagram post on Korea’s Liberation Day, in which he shared pictures from his Japan trip.
Yeonjun shared several photos on his official Instagram account on August 15, showcasing his trip to Japan. However, after receiving criticism from netizens for posting content related to Japan, he promptly deleted the posts.
The holiday, which has been celebrated since 1945, marks Korea’s independence from Japan’s colonial rule. During this time, idols have often faced criticism for mentioning or using Japanese products, pop culture, brands, or media, as there is a history of backlash against such actions.
After the controversy, Yeonjun issued a statement on Weverse, in which he apologized for his post. The idol expressed remorse for sharing the photos from his trip to Japan and extended his apologies to those who were affected by his actions. You can read his entire statement below:
“Hello. This is Yeonjun.
I failed to respect the historical meaning and significance of Liberation Day and showed carelessness in uploading photos.
I apologize to everyone who was hurt by my wrong actions. I will reflect on our shortcomings and be more careful to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
Once again, I would like to apologize to everyone.”
Yeonjun caught posting and deleting photos of him in Japan at the speed of light during National Liberation Day https://t.co/hPbMbpeuYZ pic.twitter.com/QV2bIHzX8k
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) August 15, 2024
The apology made by Yeonjun was the topic of discussion in a community post that was populated by both K-Netz and I-Fans. The Korean netizens accepted his apology and also expressed their surprise at his prompt response.
- “Please be careful from now on!”
- “It would’ve been good if he was more careful in the first place.”
- “I really thought HYBE wouldn’t make him apologize, so this was quite the surprise.”
- “It was a mistake so it’s fine as long as he doesn’t do it again. He wrote it well
- “Wow, he posted an apology quickly at dawn.”
- “It’s okay, as long as you’re aware of it now.”
- “It’s fine if he apologized. He even deleted the photos.”
Global supporters responded to the apology.
- “They made a mistake, and they apologized. It’s not something to keep hating on them like they’re criminals. Certain fandom should stop dragging them as if they committed a crime.”
- “Do y’all want apologies or not? Every time an idol apologizes by acknowledging what they did, it’s still not enough.”
- “I’d understand if it was a generic one but here he correctly says where and how he messed up.”
- “It must be so tiring to be a Korean. I could never.”
- “I don’t get why idols don’t put a notice on their calendar or something about not posting anything Japan-related on this day. Like celebrities get caught up all the time.”
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