ENHYPEN member Jay has apologised for remarks he recently made comparing Korean history to a “short novel”, saying he has “much to learn”.
On January 10, ENHYPEN members Sunghoon and Jay held a livestream on fan community platform Weverse, where the duo discussed their recent studies of Korean history. The former told viewers that he found the learning process “so fun”, sharing that he thought “everything is recorded so well”, according to translations by Korea JoongAng Daily.
Jay then commented, “I like studying history but it seems like there’s not much information about Korean history.” He also claimed that studying Korean history “comes to an end within just a few weeks of studying or skimming through”, and likened it to a “short novel”. “[History in] other countries is endless. I’ve studied all sorts of countries’ histories and they never end,” the idol said.
The ENHYPEN member was later criticised online by fans and Korean netizens alike. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, some netizens wrote across various platforms: “Please do not say anything if you don’t have proper knowledge” as well as “If it’s so easy, you should try taking the state history test”, among other comments.
Following the controversy, Jay took to ENHYPEN’s Weverse page on January 11 to issue an official apology. “After I concluded the Weverse Live today, I was very surprised to see fans’ reactions,” the statement read, according to translations by Soompi. “Regardless of the reason, I sincerely apologise to ENGENE [ENHYPEN’s official fanbase] for any discomfort and inconveniences that I have caused.”
“I spoke too negatively about the important topic of Korean history based only on my own personal impression,” Jay explained. “It is not a topic I should have rashly talked about with lack of knowledge. Today has become an opportunity for me to realise once again that I still have much to learn.”
The singer then concluded his statement by clarifying that he had “absolutely no intention of disregarding our proud history”. “I recognise that my words may have caused others to feel that way, and that is my fault. I apologise,” Jay said.
“Going forward, I will be more careful and study more so that I can become an artist ENGENE are not ashamed of. I always learn so much from you all. Thank you.”
According to the annual ‘2022 HYBE Briefing with the Community’ held in November, Belift Lab shared plans for ENHYPEN to drop a new album this year following the conclusion of their ongoing ‘Manifesto’ world tour. Their global trek will take them to Thailand and the Philippines later this month and early next month respectively.
