On April 3rd, S2 Entertainment, the agency behind the K-pop group KISS OF LIFE, issued an official apology on their social media following backlash over racial stereotyping.
The apology was prompted by accusations that the group’s recent content, especially from their birthday celebration livestream, used expressions and styles that could be seen as reinforcing negative stereotypes of a specific racial group.
S2 Entertainment acknowledged their mistake, stating, “We apologize for using expressions and styles that adhere to the stereotypes of a particular race.” The company explained that the content was based on the old-school hip-hop style, and the intention was to honor and respect the culture by capturing its atmosphere.
However, the execution sparked criticism, especially among international fans. Viewers pointed out that the members' gestures and speech patterns could be interpreted as perpetuating harmful stereotypes of the Black community.
The agency further admitted, “We did not fully recognize that this could be seen as reinforcing stereotypes, and we sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable as a result." They also promised to be more mindful in the future, stating, “Going forward, we will approach cultural elements with more care and respect. All related content will be removed.”
The controversy began with a birthday livestream for member Julie on April 2nd, where the group adopted an old-school hip-hop dress code and mimicked Black speech patterns, incorporating exaggerated gestures that some viewers found inappropriate.
The content quickly became a point of contention among international fans, with one user posting on Reddit, “I never expected to see something like this in 2025. Black culture is not a joke.”
Full Statement from S2 Entertainment:
"Hello, this is S2 Entertainment.
We apologize for using expressions and styles that adhere to racial stereotypes in the birthday content uploaded on April 2nd.
As mentioned, the content was produced based on an old-school hip-hop style, and we intended to express respect for this culture. However, we did not realize that it could be perceived as reinforcing stereotypes of a specific race.
We sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of this. The members have also taken this matter seriously, and we will approach cultural elements with more care and respect in the future. As a result, all related content will be removed.
We apologize once again to those who were hurt by this situation.
Thank you."
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