The Japanese five-member girl group "f5ve" is facing controversy for using a photo of the late Goo Hara, a member of the Korean girl group Kara, by superimposing it onto a coffin for marketing purposes.
Suh Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, noted on the 15th via social media (SNS) that "f5ve shared an image combining Goo Hara's photo with a coffin on their official SNS" and pointed out that "the post included 'IDGAF' (I don’t give a fxxx), which means 'not caring at all.'"
"He continued, saying, 'Fans of Kara in Korea and Japan accused f5ve of exploiting Goo Hara as a marketing tool and tarnishing the honor of the deceased,' relaying the recent ongoing controversy.
"He criticized that when the controversy intensified, f5ve's side took down the post and apologized, saying, 'We did not recognize the context related to the late Goo Hara,' while seeming to deflect responsibility by mentioning that they had been sharing memes created by fans."
"He added that since Goo Hara enjoyed immense love as a top star in Japan, the statement of "not recognizing it" is nothing but an excuse.
"Furthermore, he urged, 'No matter how well K-pop is doing globally, promoting the photo of a deceased K-pop star alongside coffin images is absolutely unforgivable,' and hoped that they would uphold basic decency if they wish to become a girl group that can enter the global market.