K-pop star Chaeyoung apologizes for wearing the swastika logo

K-pop fans were shocked and outraged when Chaeyoung, a member of the popular girl group Twice, posted a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt with a swastika logo on Instagram. The 23-year-old singer quickly deleted the post and apologized, but not before it sparked controversy online.

The T-shirt featured an image of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious wearing a swastika armband, which he reportedly wore as a provocation and not as an endorsement of Nazism. However, many people found the T-shirt offensive and insensitive, especially considering the history of Nazi atrocities and anti-Semitism.

Chaeyoung wrote in her apology: “I didn’t correctly recognize the meaning of the tilted swastika in the T-shirt I wore. I deeply apologize for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again.”

Some fans accepted her apology and defended her, saying that she was unaware of the implications of the symbol and that she was influenced by punk culture. Others were less forgiving and criticized her for being ignorant and irresponsible as a public figure with millions of followers.

The controversy also sparked a debate about the difference between the swastika and its distorted version used by Nazis, known as Hakenkreuz. Some people pointed out that the swastika is an ancient religious symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, while others argued that it was still inappropriate to wear it in any context.

This was not the first time that K-pop stars faced backlash for wearing controversial clothing or accessories related to Nazi symbols or imagery. In 2018, BTS apologized after one of their members wore a hat with an SS logo, and another wore a T-shirt with an atomic bomb image. In 2021, GFriend’s Sowon apologized after posing with a Nazi mannequin. In 2022, Purple Kiss and Epex also apologized for using Nazi-like logos or references in their photoshoots or songs.