EXID agency slams TMZ for racism over viral video

May 4, 2015
(Screen capture of TMZ video of EXID Junghwa)

(Screen capture of TMZ video of EXID Junghwa)

A video of American tabloid TMZ mocking the English of an EXID member as she arrives at Los Angeles International Airport for the Korea Times Music Festival, which went viral this weekend, was slammed by the group’s agency as “racism” Monday.

In the footage, EXID member Junghwa says to the camera in English, “Hi. I’m so happy.”

(Click here to see the video.)

A group of TMZ reporters discuss the video Sunday, calling the scene at LAX — where fans came out to greet the five-member girl group — “insanity.”

“At least she didn’t say, to be fair, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you,’” a woman of Asian descent at the TMZ office says in the video, imitating an Asian accent.

“It’s OK when she does it,” a man says, about the TMZ woman.

The video sparked outrage in South Korea, where TMZ has been accused of racism. Amber, a member of K-pop group f(x), tweeted, “I was gonna stay quiet but I can’t. Seriously, TMZ, not cool man. All Americans facepalm at your rude and childish actions.”

“Junghwa went to the U.S. to perform for the first time and, happy to see her fans, said, ‘I’m so happy,’” Yedang Entertainment, EXID’s agency, told Yonhap Monday. “To mock her way of speaking, we think it’s racism.”

Yedang denied rumors by Korean outlets that it would press charges against the gossip site.

2 Comments

  1. rumors

    June 24, 2016 at 9:21 PM

    Urban180 – Living at the Right Angle – A development …

  2. rumors

    November 21, 2017 at 8:45 AM

    Sangoma Safaris | Safari Company for your African Safari