S2 Entertainment, the management company of the K-pop group KISS OF LIFE, issued an apology on social media on April 3rd due to backlash concerning racial stereotypes following recent content, particularly from a birthday livestream.
The agency acknowledged their error and expressed regret for using expressions and styles that could perpetuate stereotypes of a specific racial group. They clarified that their content was inspired by old-school hip-hop, intending to pay homage and capture the culture's essence.
Despite their intentions, the execution drew criticism, particularly from international fans. Observers highlighted that the members' actions and manner of speaking could be misconstrued as perpetuating negative stereotypes of the Black community.
S2 Entertainment admitted to overlooking the possibility of reinforcing stereotypes and apologized to those who felt uneasy as a result. They assured future sensitivity in handling cultural aspects and pledged to remove related content.
The controversy originated from a birthday celebration livestream for member Julie, where the group donned old-school hip-hop attire and imitated Black speech patterns with exaggerated gestures, which some deemed inappropriate.
The incident sparked outrage among international fans, with one Reddit user commenting, "I never thought we'd witness something like this in 2025. Black culture should not be trivialized."
The company's full statement read:
"Hello, this is S2 Entertainment.
We regret using expressions and styles aligned with racial stereotypes in the April 2nd birthday content.
As previously mentioned, the content was inspired by an old-school hip-hop theme, intending to show respect for the culture. However, we failed to recognize the potential reinforcement of stereotypes linked to a particular race.
We sincerely apologize to those who felt discomfort because of this. The members are taking this issue seriously, and we commit to handling cultural aspects with more sensitivity and respect moving forward. Consequently, all related content will be taken down.
We offer our apologies again to those affected by this situation.
Thank you."