ENHYPEN member Jay apologized to the public following his comments about Korean history.
Among ENHYPEN members, Jay is the only one with dual nationality, as he was born in the US in 2002. Still, he spent most of his childhood in South Korea and received the country’s education system.
He, however, left fans shocked after he made comments about Korean history.
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ENHYPEN Jay Says Korean History Is Like Short Novel
During an online broadcast on Tuesday, Jay spoke with his bandmate, Sunghoon, after the latter said he recently started studying Korean history. According to Sunghoon, learning it is “so fun” as everything in the class is recorded so well.
Jay responded and said he likes studying history, adding that he thinks there is not much information about Korean history.
"It comes to an end within just a few weeks of studying or skimming through," he explained, per Korea JoongAng Daily. "It feels like a short novel. [History in] other countries is endless. I've studied all sorts of countries' histories and they never end."
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At that time, Jay compared Korean history to a short novel, leaving fans and viewers shocked. The public also called him out and said that his words were disparaging.
Among the comments read:
"If it's so easy, you should try taking the state history test.”
"Please do not say anything if you don't have the proper knowledge.”
"I just cannot believe what he said.”
Jay Apologizes For His Comments
Following the emergence of his issue, Jay issued an official apology statement on Weverse and explained what had happened the previous night.
He immediately apologized to everyone, especially Engenes, who felt uncomfortable because of his demeaning statement.
"I spoke negligently about the serious topic of Korean history based on my subjective impression of it. It wasn't something to be dealt with rashly with a shallow background. I realized deeply once more that I still have more to learn,” he explained.
Jay clarified he had no intention of looking down on South Korea’s history. However, his words were understood in such a way.
His agency is yet to respond to the recent issue.
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