BTS’s Jungkook has apologized for wearing a controversial hat at the rehearsal for his bandmate j-hope’s encore concert.
On June 13, Jungkook made a surprise appearance at the first night of j-hope’s “‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ FINAL” concert at Goyang Sports Complex. During the rehearsal that took place before the show, Jungkook wore a hat emblazoned with the phrase “MAKE TOKYO GREAT AGAIN.”
The phrase—which appears to have been derived from the political slogan “Make America Great Again” most recently popularized by U.S. President Donald Trump—incited controversy due to Japan’s history of imperialism and past tensions with Korea, which remained under Japanese colonial rule as recently as 1945.
In the wee hours of the morning on June 14 KST, Jungkook posted an apology on Weverse and shared that the hat had been “disposed of immediately.”
Jungkook’s full statement is as follows:
Hello, this is Jungkook.
My heart feels heavy writing this kind of message after meeting you for the first time in a long while.
I sincerely apologize for the disappointment and discomfort I caused many people through the phrase that was written on the hat I wore during today’s rehearsal.The fact that I disappointed and hurt people due to my shortcomings by wearing the hat without fully checking the historical and political meaning carried by the phrase is something that I am taking very seriously.
I am nothing but sorry.
There is no excuse, regardless of my reasons. I was lacking, and I was careless.
In the future, I will think more deeply before each and every one of my actions.I will humbly accept all criticism and reproof for my mistake.
The hat was immediately disposed of.
Once again, I apologize.
Top Photo Credit: Xportsnews
