Korean rapper-singer Psy has issued a formal apology Saturday for anti-American lyrics he performed at a 2004 concert protesting the U.S. presence in Iraq, following their recent revelation in U.S. media two days before he is set to perform for the U.S. president and his family.
The 35-year-old rapper, who became a worldwide star with his hit song "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 South Korean missionary there and the 2002 deaths of two Korean schoolgirls who were crushed by an armored recovery vehicle.
The controversial Korean-language lyrics that triggered the outrage, particularly in the United States where Psy has gained a large following, call for slowly and painfully killing U.S. soldiers and their families. They were performed during a live performance of Korean rock band NEXT's song "Dear American" at the 2004 concert, but the English translation of the lyrics has only recently been widely circulated in the U.S. media. Media reports also said the singer took part in a demonstration against U.S. troops stationed in Korea two years before the controversial concert.
The revelation of the lyrics comes as Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, is scheduled to perform at the annual "Christmas in Washington" concert on Sunday, U.S. Eastern Standard Time, with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama set to attend.
According to news reports, the White House has said the president will be present at the concert as planned and broadcaster TNT said no changes have been made to the event's line up. Both had been receiving calls via social media to either drop Psy or for the president to skip the event. The event will be televised on Dec. 21, U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
Psy stressed that he was sorry for any pain he may have caused and hoped that members of the U.S. military and all Americans will accept his apology.
"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," he said. Psy attended Berklee College of Music and Boston University in the late 1990s.
Psy also said that while he was a person who advocated freedom of expression, he understood that certain limits must be placed on choosing words, even for song lyrics.
"While it's important that we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so," he said.
Psy's video for "Gangnam Style" went viral over the summer, catapulting him to international stardom. It is currently the most watched YouTube video of all time with more than 900 million views.
YG Entertainment, Psy's management firm, meanwhile, said that the rapper's apology is limited to the inappropriate lyrics used and not the overall concert itself.
"Psy at the time attended an anti-war concert and not an anti-American gathering and that the song the rapper sang was mostly centered on innocent lives lost during the war in Iraq and the tragic accident involving two South Korean schoolgirls," the Seoul-based company said. (Yonhap)