The concert in Korea by hip-hop artist Kanye West, who was controversial for ‘praising Hitler’, has been canceled. West was scheduled to hold a solo concert ‘BULLY’ at the main stadium of Incheon Munhak Stadium on the 31st.
On the 19th, the concert organizer Coupang Play announced, “The ‘YE concert in Korea’ has been canceled due to Kanye West’s recent controversies.”
The sale of West’s brand ‘Yeezy’ products, which was being conducted to commemorate his visit to Korea, was also suspended from 1 p.m. on the 19th.
Coupang Play did not specify what the ‘recent controversy’ was, but it seems that West’s ‘praising Hitler’ had an impact.
On the 8th, which is Victory Day in Europe for World War II, West released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’. In the song, the lyrics “All my friends are Nazis. Heil Hitler” are repeated multiple times.
Criticism poured in for the lyrics praising Nazism, and major streaming sites like Spotify and SoundCloud blocked the song from being played.
West has previously sparked controversy multiple times with anti-Semitic remarks and praising Hitler. As a result, his social media accounts were suspended, and partnerships with several brands like Adidas were terminated.
Despite ongoing controversies, in February, West posted on X (formerly Twitter), “I am a Nazi. I love Hitler.”
This sparked public opinion against West’s concert in Korea. Netizens criticized, “How is it possible to have a solo concert by a singer who praises Hitler, while being condemned worldwide.”
Some fans expressed dissatisfaction when the decision to cancel the concert was made with less than two weeks left.
The cancellation notice on Coupang Play’s performance had comments like, “Kanye controversy isn’t new, why cancel two weeks before the concert?” and “Explain the specific refund plan.”
Coupang Play stated, “Ticket buyers will be individually guided on refunds.”