TWICE’s Tzuyu Halts China Activities after Flag Scandal

This incident has been thrown into a political row between Taiwan and mainland China.

In an apparent move to calm controversy, Tzuyu, whose full name is Chou Tzu-yu, finally came forward and expressed her own personal apology.

A supporter of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen holds up a poster of Taiwanese K-pop singer Chou Tzuyu at their party headquarters as they wait for the results of the general elections January 16, 2016.

Park Jin-young, head of JYP Entertainment, also apologized.

Former National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起) said on Sunday there will be many people who could trigger sensitive issues between China and Taiwan, since nearly everybody has a Facebook account. “Everyone knows Tzuyu, the 16-year-old girl, was a scapegoat, but Park made her go to the front”.

“We support artistic exchanges between the sides and consistently encourage exchanges between young people from the two sides”, the office said.

She is not known to have been involved in any pro-independence political acts.

In response to the criticism over Park’s management, JYP issued another statement on Monday and said it did not force Tzuyu to apologize for the controversy.

Ma later said waving the flag was not a sign of being pro-independence.

A Seoul-based civic group, the Centre for Multi-Cultural Korea, said it would file a request this week with South Korea’s human rights agency to investigate whether JYP Entertainment coerced Chou.

The incident angered many in Taiwan, who saw it as Chinese bullying of a teenager who was simply waving her country’s flag.

“I am so sorry for harming my company, the Chinese and Taiwanese Internet users, and cross-Strait relations …”

Last year, USA singer-songwriter Katy Perry caused a stir in both Taiwan and China when she appeared on stage in Taipei draped in a Taiwanese flag, while donning a gold dress adorned with sunflowers – a symbol of anti-China student protests in Taiwan in 2014.

South Korean fans described the teen as a political victim and criticized her agency for kowtowing to China for money.

JYP’s stock price has been falling for seven consecutive days, but it slightly rebounded on Monday after local news reports that a Taiwanese online news agency contacted JYP to purchase the exclusive contract between the Taiwanese singer and JYP for about 3.6 billion won ($2.9 million), but JYP said it is a groundless rumor.

The BBC reported Tuesday JYP’s website had been hacked and has been inaccessible since Saturday.