Twice‘s member Chaeyoung has issued an apology after she was caught wearing a shirt that featured a swastika symbol days after she wore a QAnon outfit on South Korean television.
The Kpop star posted a statement on her Instagram account, where she apologized for not “thoroughly reviewing” the outfit in question and that she will try to pay better attention when it comes to reviewing future clothing so it doesn’t happen again. Chaeyoung also mentioned that she didn’t “recognize the meaning” of the swastika and was unaware that it was going to cause concern from fans.
“I sincerely apologize regarding the Instagram post. I didn’t correctly recognize the meaning of the titled 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.”
Chaeyoung posted herself wearing the shirt in a public restaurant on social media, which was eventually removed after it sparked backlash from her followers. It was also alleged that the restaurant that the K-pop star was at was owned by someone with a Jewish background, which could have made the situation worse if that were true.
The t-shirt in question was a Sid Vicious “Action Man” Sex Pistols shirt that was distributed between the 1970s and ’80s. These shirts are rare, with eBay listings ranging as low as $500. The shirt shows Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious wearing a shirt that featured the symbol that was heavily associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. At the same time, people pointed out some of Sid Vicious’ controversies, such as the alleged murder of Nancy Spungen.
The aforementioned apology caused a split among fans. Some believe that these idols need to be more aware of the people and symbols that are printed on their shirts. Others don’t buy the apology because they find it hard to believe that someone would be unaware of what the symbol meant. Meanwhile, others were shocked that the K-pop idol was unaware of the symbol that was on the shirt. But some defended her, claiming that she may have thought the symbol was the one used in religion, not the one that’s tied to politics.
This is the second time that Chaeyoung has been criticized for her clothing choices. During a recent Twice performance that aired on South Korean television, she wore a t-shirt with the slogan “Where we go one, we go all,” which is a reference to QAnon, the far-right political movement in defense of former president Donald Trump.
Twice will soon be embarking on their fifth world tour, titled “Ready To Be.” The tour will start on April 15, 2023, in Seoul and will finish in North America from June 10 to July 9, 2023.