Recently, the captain of the popular South Korean girl group TWICE, Jihyo, has joined the hosting team of the online variety show “Roommates.” However, a preview video released by the production team on YouTube on the evening of the 29th sparked controversy as Jihyo imitated a public apology video made by TWICE member Chou Tzu-yu from Taiwan in 2016.
In the video, Jihyo is seen wearing black clothes and tying her hair in a ponytail, bowing in front of a white wall while holding a piece of paper, with her speech in the video bearing similarities to Tzuyu’s apology video. The serious expression on Jihyo’s face as she bows and says, “Hello everyone, I’m Jihyo. I have something to say to you all, which is why I’m standing in front of the camera. As an artist, an idol, and the captain of TWICE, I’ve been enduring a lot during this time, but I am also human, and it seems like I’ve reached my limit now.” She then announced with a smile that she will be part of the hosting team for the online show “Roommates.”
Following the release of the video, fans from various countries expressed their concerns on the official social media platforms. Many fans felt uncomfortable with the striking resemblance between Jihyo’s video and Tzuyu’s apology video. They requested the management company to modify the video due to the psychological distress it caused them.
Criticism flooded the comments section, with fans urging the production team and management company to show more respect. Some questioned the appropriateness of using such content for entertainment purposes and condemned the insensitivity displayed towards Tzuyu. The production team eventually removed the controversial segment from the YouTube preview video and changed the thumbnail, issuing an apology in a pinned comment, promising to be more careful in future productions.
Amid the backlash and confusion from fans, TWICE’s official social media accounts deleted the promotional posts and pictures for the show uploaded the previous night. Despite the negative reactions to the video, there were also voices cautioning against excessive attacks towards Jihyo personally and emphasizing the importance of not engaging in malicious personal attacks against her.