The band Hyukoh has released a new song for the first time in six years and has faced an unexpected controversy surrounding the music video's lead. A Japanese actor known as a descendant of a wartime leader appeared in the music video, sparking heated debate online.
Hyukoh will at 6 p.m. on the 18th release the new single "Godspeed!" on various online music sites. This new record attracted intense anticipation from the public and fans who have long awaited their music because it is the song Hyukoh released in 2020 with the EP "Love".
Godspeed! is a song that candidly and plainly expresses the repeated daily life and the accumulating lethargy within it. Even amid days tangled with a wheel-like routine and self-mockery, it tells the story of finally living life again through the love that stayed by one's side.
But after the "Godspeed!" music video was released a day before the release, it became known that Japanese actor Ando Sakura appeared in it, and a heated online debate among internet users continued.
The agency said of the music video, "Japanese leading actor Ando Sakura, recognized at home and abroad for a distinctive acting spectrum through numerous works such as the film "Shoplifters", "The Host" and "Love of the Hundred Yen", appears and adds a deeper immersion," noting, "By crossing childhood and the present and showing Ando Sakura running a marathon and boarding a subway to live a day, we cinematically captured the moments passing through repetition and stagnation."
But contrary to the agency's positive planning intent, some public opinion turned cold. It was rediscovered that Ando Sakura's great-grandfather was Inukai Tsuyoshi, who served as Japan's 29th prime minister during the Japanese colonial period. In particular, criticism intensified as the contents of an essay Inukai Tsuyoshi once published that openly contained imperialist ideology rapidly spread through online communities.
The timing of the new song's release just after Liberation Day and the recent large backlash caused by domestic actress Ha-young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese actions have combined to create unfavorable public sentiment. Opinions include, "Seeing a descendant of a figure with imperialist ideology in a Korean band's music video during Liberation Day week is very uncomfortable."
On the other hand, some have responded differently, saying, "It is harsh to apply 'guilt by association' and criticize someone because of their ancestor's actions."
Hyukoh's comeback after six years has hit an unexpected historical controversy, and attention is focused on how the new song's promotion and the music video release will be evaluated by the public.
[photo] OSEN DB, video capture
[OSEN]