Former NCT member Mark apologized again for wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt, denied cult rumors, and said he will learn and do better.
August/22/2026 16:19
Former NCT member Mark apologized again for causing controversy by wearing a T-shirt printed with the Confederate flag, which is considered a symbol of racism. Mark held a live broadcast on Instagram yesterday (the 21st). During it, he said he wanted to speak directly about the controversy over the T-shirt, apologized again for the uproar, and revealed, "I promise this will never happen again." He also addressed rumors circulating on the internet, denying them by saying, "I am not in a cult; I am a Christian." He also drew attention by saying, "I think I will be able to release a new song soon." In addition, through his Instagram Story feature, he began by saying, "I want to clearly correct what I said during the Instagram Live. It was wrong for me to say during the live that I knew the meaning and historical significance of the pattern. What I was trying to say was that at the time I did not know the meaning or historical significance of the pattern." He said, "I did not know what the pattern meant. There is no excuse. I take full responsibility for my lack of awareness. I want to sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt and suffered because of this, especially the fans in that community. I have always valued respecting others and bringing people together through music. This incident goes against my values." He continued, "I fully understand that the fact that I did not know does not lessen the impact of the mistake or the hurt it caused. I deeply reflect on my ignorance of the history and meaning behind the pattern. Going forward, I want to show you that I will learn more and grow. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt." Previously, in June of this year, Mark caused controversy by wearing a T-shirt with the Confederate flag. The Confederacy was a nation formed in 1861 by 11 southern U.S. states that seceded from the United States in order to maintain slavery, and it is regarded as a symbol of white supremacy and racism. In response, Upper Room, Mark's agency, at the time issued an official statement through its social media, saying, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern, discomfort, and disappointment to many people because of the vintage T-shirt shown in the recently released photo. The outfit in question was chosen simply because it was vintage. However, after recognizing the historical meaning and sensitivity of the symbol displayed on the T-shirt, we took steps to ensure it would not be released in official content. Nevertheless, the photo was shared externally, exposing the symbol and causing public concern." The agency added, "Regardless of intent, we acknowledge that we should have been more careful. We feel deeply responsible. Upper Room and the artist firmly oppose racism, hatred, all forms of discrimination, and any form of exclusion or intolerance. Taking this matter as an opportunity, we will strengthen our internal review procedures for outfit selection and content approval." ・Former NCT member Mark's T-shirt caused controversy... agency apologizes for the outfit, saying it recognized the historical meaning and feels deeply responsible ・Former NCT member Mark shares his everyday life in the U.S.... his unadorned appearance draws attention, 'I want to show my true self' (video available)
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