Korean singer -songwriter 20also known as RaehwanHe recently attracted significant attention following his response to criticism on cultural allocation in promotional materials for his next single “Eye Candy”.
The controversy began when the teaser images showing the artist who wore a Dug immediately pushed a fan and Netizen.
K-Pop Star blew up for cultural appropriation in his return teasers
Opening not to follow the usual path of publication of the social media declarations generally issued in similar situations throughout the entertainment sector, from 20 has chosen a more complete approach to face the dispute. The artist filmed and published an 18 -minute YouTuvbe video entitled “K-Pop Idolo learns cultural appropriation,“With an educational dialogue with three guests – Janae, Nee and Joy – who have provided a context on the cultural meaning of Dug in black culture.
During the conversation, from 20 he explained the original concept behind his style.
[“Eye Candy”] It is a tribute to black music, which I have loved since I was a child. I love hip-hop, R&B, I grew up listening to the late 90s and early 1900s, in particular. I wanted to try it and express it in my own way because I really love these genres.
In this process of creating “sugars”, it has become evident there are things that I was not aware of. There have been many comments about it. I took photos of concepts while I was wearing a Dug. Since I don’t know, I need to learn and I have to try to understand what it is and how they feel. I am not the type of person to load apologies because my company told me to do it. That’s why … even if we wanted some time, I wanted to meet you and have a conversation. I want to learn and understand what I did wrong. That’s why I invited you here today.
– from 20
He also apologized in the description of the video.
I honestly apologize to all those who were injured by me wearing the dug. Going forward, I will become an artist who continues to respect, listen and learn.
– from 20
After the video was uploaded to YouTube, from FROM20 he shared him on his accounts on social media and thanked his guests for helping him better understand his mistake.
I want to sincerely thank Janae, Nee and Joy for having dedicated time to educate myself on black culture. I am really grateful for the stories you shared and for helping me to understand why wearing a dug as a non -black person can be harmful. I appreciate your opening and patience …… https://t.co/dsiq4ppvr pic.twitter.com/ogx0LGR39L
– D20 (@From20_offial) April 13, 2025
The reactions in the comments were extraordinarily positive, with hoping fans that this will constitute a positive precedent for other idols.
You can watch the full video below.
