Key Points
- In a video shared online, South Korean singer Crush appeared to avoid Black fans at a concert.
- The singer apologised and said it was a "misunderstanding", but social media users have accused him of racism.
Last week, South Korean singer Crush apologised after a video was shared online which appeared to show him avoiding Black fans while high-fiving other attendees during a performance.
While some viewers described the video as an example of discrimination and racism, Crush said it was a misunderstanding, and that he had been avoiding certain areas of the crowd due to safety precautions.
The incident and subsequent debate are the latest in an ongoing conversation around
Who is Crush and what happened at the concert?
Shin Hyo-seob, who performs under the name Crush, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and producer currently represented by P Nation, the label founded by Gangnam Style singer PSY.
Crush released his first album 'Crush On You' in 2014, followed by 'From Midnight to Sunrise' in 2019. He has 4.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 2.7 million followers on Instagram.
Following his performance at the 2022 Someday Pleroma festival in the South Korean capital Seoul on 9 October, a fan posted a video via a now-deleted Twitter account, which appeared to show the singer high-fiving fans in the crowd and skipping over those with darker skin.
On 10 October, Crush posted addressing the video and allegations of racism.
"I had to refrain from giving out high-fives with the fans in particular sections as a safety precaution - fans were getting too close to the fences holding up the audience section and I saw that those in the front row were getting pushed against the fence, so I made a quick judgement not to approach for the safety of my fans," he wrote.
"I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding that my actions may have caused. I love each and every one of my fans and I would never discriminate nor favour anyone."
In 2016, Crush attracted criticism after performing on the show 'King of Masked Singer' wearing a mask with dark skin and curly hair, which viewers labelled as blackface.
What is K-pop's history with black culture?
Crush is not the only K-pop star to be accused of insensitivity towards Black culture, with numerous stars called out over the years for racial stereotyping and cultural appropriation.
In 2017, criticised K-pop and Korean hip-hop's use of African culture, writing about how those involved in both genres of music embrace the culture and yet are not aware of the related social issues and movements, such as Black Lives Matter.
During an 'Ask me Anything' session on the forum Reddit, singer Alex Reid, who was previously a member of the girl group BP RaNia said she had experienced racism as a Black woman performing in a K-pop group.
In 2018, Red Velvet performer Wendy faced backlash for impersonating Black women during a segment on a talk show, with international fans calling her out for racism and stereotyping.
K-pop performers have also publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Korean artists and fans raised millions of dollars for the movement and hijacked anti-protest social media hashtags such as #WhiteLivesMatter.
K-pop superstars BTS tweeted their support for protesters, saying "we stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence".
