K-pop group IVE has been swept into an unexpected dustup over alleged anti-Japan imagery in its new album teaser.
On Aug. 8, IVE dropped the trailer for its fourth mini-album, "IVE SECRET," on its official YouTube channel. The clip flips the classic Cupid motif into an "Evil Cupid" concept, with each member playing a saboteur who meddles with romance in a stylized universe.
After the video went live, some Japanese, local outlets, and anti-Korean YouTubers argued it carried anti-Japan sentiment. They cited the Aug. 8 release date―one day before the anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing―Japanese member REI wearing a top that says "I'm sorry," and a scene of paper cranes, a peace symbol, set on fire.
Responding to the chatter, director OUI of production house New Year wrote on social media: "To express the 'Evil Cupid' concept of sabotaging love, we used paper cranes as a love token and burned them in the scene. There is no other meaning intended."
IVE's fourth mini-album, "IVE SECRET," arrives Aug. 25.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)