VIDEO Which EPEX members are teenagers?

With the release of “Full Metal Jacket,” K-pop boy group EPEX is taking a stand against the pervasive issue of school bullying in Korea with its music.

The octet, consisting of Wish, Keum, Mu, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang and Jeff, unleashed its sixth EP, “Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’” on Oct. 4. The album starts off with the lead single, “Full Metal Jacket.”

Laced with intense bass sounds and guitar melodies, the tune lays bare the harsh reality of bullying while attempting to raise awareness about this pressing problem. Last year, Korea witnessed 62,052 cases of school violence nationwide ― a more than 68 percent increase from 2019’s figure of 42,706, according to the Ministry of Education.

“It was inevitable for us to address the issue of school violence, because we have been singing about different themes that our peers can relate to since our debut,” EPEX’s frontman Wish, whose real name is Kwak Da-wit, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times at a studio in southern Seoul's Gangnam District.