A KISS OF LIFE member has issued a public apology for having used a racial slur in a publicly released video.

Julie, the group's leader, previously trained under DEF Music Academy, a training facility that helps trainee hopefuls prepare for auditions, and the video in question is from one of her evaluations there. In the clip, she is seen rapping a verse from B.o.B's "Strange Clouds (feat. Lil Wayne)," sticking to the original lyrics including one use of the n-word. While the video was originally made more than five years ago, it has resurfaced since the idol's recent debut, causing controversy.

Her apology message, which was released through KISS OF LIFE's official branded social media on July 22 KST, reads as follows:

"This is Julie from KISS OF LIFE.

An old video has resurfaced in which I, without paying enough attention, sang the original lyrics of a cover song that included a certain word, for which I deeply regret.

This incident made me realize how my careless actions can cause harm to many people and during my 6 years of training period I educated myself and matured.

I'm determined to be more cautious and meticulous to prevent making the same mistakes in the future.

I want to express my sincere apologies to everyone who may have been hurt by my actions.

I will strive to show you a better version of myself and continuous growth in the future.

Thank you for your understanding."

Meanwhile, KISS OF LIFE debuted on July 5 with a self-titled debut album featuring lead single "Shhh." The official music video can be seen here.