Psy slammed for anti-American lyrics

Psy, center, performs with backup dancers at KISS FM's Jingle Ball at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 3. AP-Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

With the phenomenal success of “Gangnam Style,” Korean singer Psy has been embraced in the U.S. at a level few Asian artists have experienced.

But all of a sudden, he finds himself in the awkward position of having to apologize for rapping about killing American troops back in 2004. Anti-American lyrics at a protest performance began to spread online last week and Psy quickly issued an apology Saturday.

The Korean-language lyrics that triggered the outrage, particularly in the U.S. where Psy has gained a large following, call for slowly and painfully killing U.S. soldiers and their families.

The outburst came during a live performance of Korean rock band NEXT’s song “Dear American” at a concert protesting U.S. military involvement in Korea but the English translation of the lyrics has only recently been widely circulated in the U.S. media.

“While I’m grateful for the freedom to express one’s self, I’ve learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted,” Psy said in the statement. “I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words.”

The 35-year-old rapper, who became a global star with mega hit “Gangnam Style,” said in the statement that the concert was held as a “deeply emotional reaction” to the war in Iraq following the beheading of a Korean missionary there and the 2002 deaths of two Korean schoolgirls who were crushed by an armored recovery vehicle.

“As a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world,”Psy said. He attended Berklee College of Music and Boston University in the late 1990s.

The singer also took part in a demonstration against U.S. troops stationed in Korea two years before the 2004 concert.

Controversy surrounding Psy’s past anti-American behavior has been building up, particularly as U.S. President Obama and his family are planning to attend a charity concert featuring the pop star. A spokesman confirmed Friday that the Obama family will attend the Dec. 21 Christmas in Washington concert, as is customary.

There are no plans for Psy to cancel his appearance in the U.S. capital.

“Psy is performing at Christmas in Washington as planned,” a spokeswoman for event organizer TNT said in a statement.

Psy performed at the Y100 Jingle Ball in Miami on Saturday amid the backlash about his anti-American performances.

“Gangnam Style” has become the most-watched video of all time on YouTube in just five months, garnering almost 906 million views.

The clip has inspired thousands of online imitations of the singer’s famous horse-riding dance, and flash mobs of tens of thousands in Paris, Rome and Milan.