LE SSERAFIM’s Why Color Controversy
LE SSERAFIM, a South Korean girl group, has recently been embroiled in controversy surrounding allegations of pro-Japanese imagery in their music video for “Burn the Bridge” and the past actions of member Sakura Miyawaki.
Red liquid and Japanese narration
The opening scene of the “Burn the Bridge” music video features a floor covered in red liquid and Japanese narration. One netizen broke down the timeline down to the second and provided additional explanations for this scene, claiming it is “a rehash of the assimilation policy and pro-Japanese imperialist repertoire of the Japanese colonial era” and “part of Japan’s national cultural support project ‘Cool Japan‘”.
Sakura floating on water resembling Dokdo
The scene at the end of the video where Sakura is floating on water while looking up at the sky has been pointed out to resemble the shape of Dokdo, a disputed island between Korea and Japan. Sakura is a Japanese member of the group.
Negative Reactions
In response to these elements, the video has been flooded with negative comments such as:
- “It was weird from the moment they put in a Japanese member”
- “Traitor group”
- “Is pro-Japanism their group concept?”
- “Is that the Rising Sun Flag? Are they out of their minds?”
- “I’m embarrassed that I liked them without knowing anything”
- “Traitor group”
- “Why did they put in Japanese? I don’t know if this is K-pop or J-pop”
- “It’s the Rising Sun Flag from the beginning”
- “It’s amazing how blatant they are”
Sakura’s Anti-Korean Sentiment Controversy
In addition to the why color controversy, Sakura’s past remarks that have been deemed anti-Korean have also resurfaced. Sakura has been embroiled in “right-wing” controversies since she began her activities in Korea. This is due to her past actions such as wearing a costume symbolizing the Rising Sun Flag, performing at a concert honoring “comfort women” during World War II, and performing a consolation concert at a shrine honoring Japanese war dead.
Source Music’s Legal Response
LE SSERAFIM’s agency, Source Music, has announced that it will take legal action against these allegations. On April 26, the agency stated, “We have determined that the level of indiscriminate insults, defamation, sexual harassment, malicious slander, ridicule, and defamation directed at LE SSERAFIM has reached a serious level, and we will strengthen our legal response to protect our artists.”
