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TWICE member Tzuyu halts China activities after flag scandal

January 13, 2016

Tzuyu of the multinational K-pop girl group TWICE (R). (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — Tzuyu of the multinational K-pop group TWICE will temporarily suspend her activities in China after waving the Taiwanese national flag in an online broadcast, her agency said Thursday.

The 16-year-old Taiwanese native waved the flag of the Republic of China in an online-exclusive portion of “My Little Television,” a variety show produced by the South Korean terrestrial network MBC, in November.

Controversy erupted after Taiwanese-born, anti-independence singer Michael Huang accused Tzuyu of promoting the Taiwanese independence movement.

Taiwan and China have been on fragile terms over the political status of the island nation.

Taiwan is ruled by a self-sustaining, democratically elected government called the Republic of China, but Beijing believes the island should be part of the People’s Republic of China, which governs mainland China.

JYP Entertainment responded with a Weibo post, saying it endorses no particular political agenda as a “cultural corporation.”

“We feel extremely regretful about this controversy,” the agency said in a statement, adding it will cancel Tzuyu’s engagements in China until the scandal eases.