K-pop idols seem to be making some questionable fashion decisions as of late.
Just days after Chaeyoung – a member of girl group, TWICE – was criticised for wearing a QAnon shirt, she has found herself in another clothing-related controversy.
This time, the K-pop star posted a photo to her Instagram, wearing a shirt with what appeared to be a swastika. The symbol was seen on Sid Vicious, a former member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols.
Fans soon flooded her comment section, condemning the singer for wearing the shirt and sharing it with her 8.6M followers. Amid the backlash, Chaeyoung deleted the photo and addressed her decision in another post.
“I sincerely apologise regarding the Instagram post. I didn’t correctly recognise the meaning of the tilted swastika in the t-shirt I wore,” she wrote. “I deeply apologise for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again.”
However, many pop culture enthusiasts found it hard to believe that Chaeyoung was unaware of the political history associated with the symbol.
On top of this, many social media users questioned whether it was just a coincidence that Chaeyoung wore two controversial shirts in the space of a week.
“People need to be very careful because dogwhistles are rarely apparent,” Twitter user @honestsportz writes.
Meanwhile, some fans defended the singer, noting the different types of swastikas and their meanings.
“It is very common for them to recognise the swastika as a Buddhist symbol”, one Twitter user shared.
Here’s to hoping that this is Chaeyoung’s last fashion-related scandal.