On April 3, 2025, the South Korean news outlet Edaily reported that S2 Entertainment, the agency representing the group Kiss of Life, has issued a formal apology in response to allegations of cultural appropriation. This controversy emerged following a live birthday broadcast for member Julie on April 2, 2025.
During the broadcast, the group embraced a black hip-hop aesthetic, adopting clothing and hairstyles that some felt imitated aspects of racial culture. This led to significant backlash online, with many netizens accusing them of cultural appropriation and perpetuating racial stereotypes. In light of this criticism, S2 Entertainment took swift action, offering an apology and pledging a more respectful approach to cultural representation moving forward.
“We will approach cultural elements more carefully and with more respect in the future,”the statement emphasized.
S2 Entertainment Addresses Cultural Sensitivities
S2 Entertainment reached out to the community to express their regret for employing imagery and styles that unintentionally echoed harmful stereotypes associated with specific racial identities. They clarified that while the intention behind the birthday content was to celebrate old-school hip-hop culture respectfully, they did not fully consider how their actions could be interpreted as reinforcing racial stereotypes.
“As previously announced, the content was produced on the old-school hip-hop style, and we intended to express the atmosphere with the intention of respecting this culture. However, we were not fully aware that it could be seen as reinforcing stereotypes about a certain race,”the agency explained.
The agency further committed to removing all content related to the incident, stating,
“We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable because of this. The members are currently taking this issue seriously, and we will approach cultural elements more carefully and with more respect in the future. Accordingly, all related content will be deleted. We once again apologize to those who were hurt by this.”
For context, Kiss of Life is comprised of four talented members: Natty, Belle, Haneul, and Julie. The group made their debut with the extended play “Kiss of Life”on July 5, 2023, released under S2 Entertainment and featuring six tracks, including “Shh,””Bye My Neverland,””Sugarcoat,””Countdown,””Kitty Cat,”and “Play Love.”
In more recent developments, Kiss of Life partnered with Maybelline New York in February 2024 and were announced as the brand’s new ambassadors. Additionally, they are set to make history as the first K-pop group to headline the upcoming Sziget Festival in Budapest, slated for August 2025 on Obdudai-sziget (Old Buda Island).