A TikTok dance challenge posted by a member of rookie boy group GENUS has drawn criticism online and a formal apology from the company.
According to Koreaboo’s report, member Chanyong shared a dance challenge on the group’s official social media using audio labeled “Neck Hurts,” taken from an episode of the animated series South Park in which a character says a racial slur.
The video quickly attracted negative reactions online. One widely shared post read: “SUCH A MACROAGGRESSION?? #genus #cancelled #fyp #viral.”
On October 8th, a notice was posted to the group’s TikTok account acknowledging the now-deleted video’s usage of the offensive audio.
“We have confirmed that a video posted on GENUS’s official social media channels contained audio with lyrics that have been interpreted as racially offensive,” the notice stated. “We sincerely apologize for posting the content without fully verifying the meaning and context of the audio, and we will strengthen our procedures for selecting audio and reviewing content to prevent a similar situation from occurring again.”
However, the apology has not landed well with everyone. Some fans expressed that they were not receptive to the wording of the statement, keeping the discussion going online. No official statement has been issued by Chanyong himself.
