K-pop groups face dilemmas when confronted with political issues

진행자: 최정윤, Chelsea Proctor

기사 요약: JYP 엔터테인먼트 그룹 소속 Nmixx가 "독도는 우리땅" 노래를 불렀다가 일본 팬들에게 비난을 받고 있는데, 과연 아이돌들에 지리 정치학적 발언을 문제 삼는게 맞을까?

[1] K-pop idols continue to grapple with navigating geopolitical controversies, as highlighted by a recent incident involving JYP Entertainment's K-pop group Nmixx. The group performed part of the “Dokdo is Our Land” song in a YouTube video on Aug. 22, sparking a heated dispute between Korean and Japanese fans. The incident raised a critical question: Should K-pop bands refrain from addressing political issues, or should they be candid about their political positions?

grapple with: ~을 해결하려고 노력하다

address: 문제에 대해 얘기하다, 발언하다

candid: 솔직한

[2] Japan has claimed sovereignty over Dokdo, islets in the East Sea, since the early 20th century. It is taboo for K-pop idols to speak about Dokdo as Korea holds sovereignty over the islets, but Japan continues to claim the territory, and K-pop groups promote in both countries.

sovereignty: 통치권

islet: 작은 섬

[3] Nmixx did not make a bold statement on the issue, nor did they choose to perform “Dokdo is Our Land” on their own. The group sang a portion of the song as part of a mix-pop medley that included three other songs, a decision made by the content producer.

Japanese fans, however, went on to express their dissatisfaction on the girl band’s X account last Friday, posting comments such as “Don’t they care about Japanese fans?” “I regret spending money on Nmixx,” and “The company (JYP) needs to provide better history education."

bold: 대담한

기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240902050590