Kanye West, the hip-hop star caught in controversy for releasing a single praising Adolf Hitler, has had his concert in Korea canceled.
On the 19th, Coupang Play announced, “Due to Kanye’s recent controversy, the ‘YE Concert in Korea’ scheduled for May 31 has been unavoidably canceled.” As a result, sales of concert merchandise will also cease from 1 PM on the 19th.
On May 8 (local time), Kanye West released a single titled “Heil Hitler,” a song praising the German dictator Adolf Hitler. The chorus features the lyrics, “They don’t understand what I say on Twitter, Heil Hitler,” and the latter part of the track includes a segment of Hitler’s actual speech.
Notably, the release date of Kanye West’s new song coincided with Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe, which added to the backlash.
Jim Burke, president of the American Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center, expressed displeasure in an interview with Billboard magazine, stating, “Releasing this song on a day commemorating the defeat of the Nazi regime is a clear statement of hate.”
Since 2022, Kanye West has consistently made anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi remarks. In particular, last February, he shocked people by posting on his social media account, “I am a Nazi. I like Hitler.”