The all-girl K-Pop group Le Sserafim is under fire for its music video Burn the Bridge, which has sparked heated debates on the internet, with allegations of Japanese propaganda in the visuals.
Specific scenes in the music video have stirred a major controversy among the K-Pop connoisseurs.
The opening sequence of Burn the Bridge, featuring a pool of blood on a pristine white surface accompanied by Japanese narration, triggered the controversy.
People across all social media platforms asserted that the opening sequence had striking resemblance to the Japanese flag.
The concluding scene of Burn the Bridge depicting Sakura submerged in water while gazing upwards is also being dubbed as a Japanese propaganda.
The closing scene prompted comparisons to Dokdo Island’s silhouette – a territory hotly contested between Japan and South Korea.
People were also of the opinion that Le Sserafim’s Burn the Bridge was a medium for Japanese cultural promotion, aligned with the Cool Japan initiative.
The Cool Japan initiative is a strategy aimed at showcasing Japan’s gorgeousness on the global stage through soft power tactics.
Le Sserafim is a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music. The group consists of five members: Sakura, Kim Chae-won, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha, and Hong Eun-chae.
Originally a six-member group, Kim Ga-ram left on July 20, 2022, after the termination of her exclusive contract.
Le Sserafim debuted on May 2, 2022, with the extended play Fearless, which broke the record for the highest-selling debut album by a K-pop girl group in first-day sales.
