Jay Park's rookie idol group LNGSHOT (Longshot) revealed their faces for the first time. However, the members' first public appearance featured a "middle finger" pose, which instead sparked public backlash.
Jay Park performed on stage at Hanyang University festival in Seongdong District, Seoul, on the 19th, and his newly launched rookie boy group Longshot made a surprise appearance there. While they performed a new song without prior information about Longshot being released, their spirited presence and the freshness of the stage stood out.
After the event, Jay Park tagged Longshot's official account on Instagram and released photos of the members. As Jay Park's first produced idol group, attention was focused on their images.
However, in photos released immediately after the stage, Jay Park and Longshot members were shown raising their middle fingers, drawing controversy. Netizens who saw this reacted with comments such as "Showing the X from the first reveal," "What kind of finger insult is this," "They're being insulted before people even see them in person," "I don't know what the target audience is," and "Why are they doing this."
Jay Park also expressed confidence about the photo, saying "Aren't my kids handsome? I'm not sure they'll sell the most, but I'm confident they can do K-pop the coolest," and added the hashtag #middlefingertothenorm. Jay Park explained the group's concept himself, but that only fueled critical public opinion.
Earlier, Jay Park had raised anticipation by gradually revealing Longshot's team name, parts of a new song, and photos of members with their faces covered through multiple festival stages. But before their official debut, they drew public ire by showing a "middle finger," making their future closely watched.
Meanwhile, Longshot is the first boy group presented by More Vision, which Jay Park founded in 2022, and consists of O-yul, Ryul, WOOJIN, and Rui. They are preparing in earnest with a goal of officially debuting in January next year.
[Photo] Jay Park SNS, provided by More Vision
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