Super Junior's Kim Hee-chul Apologizes for Mistaken Criticism Over Incheon's Taegukgi Banner: "My Clear Mistake"

Group Super Junior member Kim Hee-chul apologized on the 9th regarding his mistaken criticism of the Taegukgi pattern on a Liberation Day commemorative banner posted by Incheon City.

Kim stated via his social media that day, "Those of you seeing an apology after just one day might be taken aback, but it is my fault," adding, "I failed to properly recognize the shape of a person holding it and got angry just upon seeing the Taegukgi drawing. It was clearly my fault caused by a lack of spatial awareness and hastiness."

He continued, "As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy.. lately, seeing people, videos, and photos hanging or drawing the Taegukgi upside down frequently must have caused me to build up a lot of anger inside," and added, "However, it is my fault for not looking closely at the drawing, and since it is natural to apologize when making a mistake, please scold me for being unmindful."

Kim stated, "Including myself, I hope the Taegukgi will not be distorted into other meanings or misunderstandings in the future." At the end of his post, he also added the sentence, "And I am indeed a Korean.. I was born in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province.."

Previously, Incheon City posted a commemorative banner at a crosswalk near the rear gate of City Hall on the 6th for the 81st Liberation Day. The banner contained the phrase "The 81st Liberation Day, That Day When Light Was Regained," along with an image of an independence activist waving the Taegukgi with both hands.

However, criticisms followed online that the Taegukgi pattern and the positions of the four trigrams on the banner were flipped vertically, and Kim Hee-chul joined the controversy by leaving a comment saying "Out of my mind" along with a Taegukgi emoji on the post. Following this, fellow group member Choi Si-won also responded with a Taegukgi emoji.

As the controversy grew, Incheon City explained, "The Taegukgi was not drawn incorrectly; it was expressed in a perspective looking up from below at an independence activist waving the Taegukgi," clarifying that the basic shape of the Taegukgi itself, including the positions of geon, gon, gam, and li, was normal. However, judging that it could cause misunderstandings, the city removed the banner on the 8th. An Incheon City official stated, "We failed to meticulously look into aspects that appear flat," adding, "We will look into things more closely from now on so that there are no unnecessary misunderstandings."

Meanwhile, Kim Hee-chul also expressed his stance multiple times regarding his comment being interpreted politically. He stated, "Many people are expressing political worries over the Taegukgi talk, but isn't it our country's national flag regardless of left or right," and as the controversy persisted, he repeatedly emphasized, "It is a matter unrelated to left or right. Something even kindergarteners know is neither something to be praised nor cursed at, and it's just absurd when even foreign fans all know the position of the Taegukgi."

Kim left JTBC's "Knowing Bros" last May due to health issues, and on July 13th, he released Super Junior-83z's 1st mini album "A Promise For You" alongside Leeteuk, continuing his activities.

 

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Kyung-yoon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.