ITZY’s Lia apologizes after a fan brings her colorist remarks to attention on fan call

ITZY's Lia gets embroiled in an alleged colorist remark controversy (Image via Twitter/ITZYofficial)
ITZY's Lia gets embroiled in an alleged colorist remark controversy (Image via Twitter/ITZYofficial)

ITZY’s Lia came under fire for her comments regarding Chaeryeong in Kim Shin-young’s Noon Song of Hope radio show broadcast on July 19. The former told the latter that she would be “neither fair nor s*xy” if she got a tan. Many fans believed that the comment was colorist and showed her perception towards dark or tan-skinned people.

A fan, who received the opportunity to video call with ITZY as part of winning a fan sign, brought the comment to Lia’s attention. The 22-year-old singer was quick to apologize for her wrong choice of words. She said that she wasn’t aware of the issue but that hurting and offending people was not her intention.

“First of all, I’m not really sure about this issue at the moment, but if that’s what people understood, I’m so sorry for that, and that was my mistake. That was definitely not my intention. So, I don’t want any more people to get hurt.”

When the alleged colorist remarks came to light, MIDZYs, the group’s fandom, expressed that they wanted to educate Lia on the issue, and not attack her.


ITZY’s Lia lands up in trouble for her alleged colorist remarks towards Chaeryeong

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In the July 19 live broadcast of Kim Shin-young’s radio show, ITZY’s Lia’s remarks over tan skin landed her in trouble. Netizens, fans and non-fans alike, alleged that the comments made were colorist. The K-pop industry’s image is stained with multiple controversies surrounded by thoughtless comments. The SNEAKERS girl group is a recent addition to the list.

In a segment, Chaeryeong shared that she wanted to get a tan in the past. However, she did not go ahead with it, as Lia told her that she might end up looking neither pale nor “s*xy.” Lia also added that her pale skin is what makes her unique, and that the tan would take her uniqueness away.

Per @COZYxBEAR, an ITZY fan account with 35.k followers on Twitter, the conversation was:

The comment did not sit right with fans and divided the fandom into two. On the one hand, fans discussed that ITZY’s Lia’s remarks had “colorist undertones” and stemmed from a deep-rooted desire to disregard any shade of skin lighter than white.

On the other hand, many believed that people were twisting ITZY’s Lia’s words. They talked about the context of the conversation. As per them, she wanted to lift Chaeryeong’s confidence for her naturally pale skin and wanted her to embrace it.

A group of fans also believed that Lia could have chosen better words to boost Chaeryeong’s morale.

ITZY’s Lia apologized for her comments and reassured that she would educate herself better.

“And I think that’s something I need to do… take more time and kind of maybe have a chance to speak out again. Thank you for letting me know.”

Meanwhile, even though the atmosphere is tense in the MIDZY fandom, ITZY’s first music show win for SNEAKERS on Music Bank was able to provide some relief for fans.

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