Taiwanese K-pop star Chou Tzu-yu, a member of Twice, created a stir after she apologised through a YouTube video for waving a Taiwanese flag.
The controversy first began after a pro-China Taiwanese celebrity Huang An accused the 16-year-old teen star for promoting pro-Taiwan independence after she had waived the flag of Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) on Korean television earlier.
Chinese netizens were outraged and a Chinese TV station also cancelled a new year’s eve performance by Twice. A Chinese brand endorser reportedly also dropped Tzu-yu from an advertisement.
Tzu-yu’s apology has drawn attention during the recent Taiwan’s elections. Her apology also drawn sympathy from across the world, as many netizens believed that she was forced to do so.
With Tzu-yu gaining recognition across the world, her popularity has also skyrocketed in Korea. Based on a poll conducted by a Korean website Nate, 92% of the netizens felt that Tzu-yu did not need to apologise for holding up her nation’s flag. Tzu-yu has also been conferred as the top 3 young idol goddess in Korea, alongside with Girls Day’s Hyeri and AOA’s Seolhyun.
Many insiders from the entertainment circle also pointed that Tzu-yu is the “biggest victim and yet the biggest beneficiary” from the flag row incident. She has “shot to fame” after this incident, and this has considered a “free publicity” for her, said an advertising executive, Fan Ke Qing.
Fan also said, “It’s hard to say if her agency planned all this, but it is a blessing in disguise for them. It has very good publicity for her.”
Source: Apple Daily
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Cnetz says
I actually translated the comments made by Chinese netizens regarding the Tzuyu issue and one of the relevant posts is this: http://cnetzsays.blogspot.com/2016/01/twice-tzuyu-top-star-in-korea-now.html
I just created this blog to share with readers the opinions of Chinese netizens on various ent. news. I’ve posted around 10+ posts so far, quite of few of them are on Twice Tzuyu and Huang An. If you are interested, please take a look at my blog, cnetzsays.blogspot.com ! 🙂 I’ll be updating frequently and I hope to gain more support~! Thanks!
Jing Jing
So, let’s get this straight.
Chou Tzu-yu is a Taiwanese. She held her country’s flag on TV. And she incurred the wrath of Huang An, a Chinese TV station, a Chinese brand and Chinese netizens? Seriously! Get a life!
Chou is a Taiwanese and as long as she has a Taiwan passport, she has every right to hold on to her country’s flag! What is wrong with being patriotic to her own country? IMO, there is nothing wrong with holding on to the Taiwanese flag as long as the country is recognised as a Republic of China, as long as Taiwan is not under the rules of the Chinese and as long as Taiwan has its own government and parliament.
BTW, I am so interested to see Huang An relocating to China, getting a Chinese passport and succumbing to Chinese laws and communism.
chaiwan
she is chinese. taiwan is china. why is there taiwanese and chinese when its all the same? taiwan is part of china hence the words republic of CHINA. it would be republic of taiwan if that was real.
奧援
Sorry but that’s wrong. It’s true, Taiwan’s official name is Republic of China. And it is also true that 98% of the population is of Han descent. But Taiwan is its own country. It has its own name, its own foreign policies, they even have their own currency. China needs to learn how to let go. It’s been almost 67 years already since the Chinese Civil War. China is already one of the most powerful countries in the world, they have control of Tibet and now trying to claim land in Southeast Asia. Yet all of that still isn’t enough for them? To make things worse, they are kidnapping publishers from Hong Kong. Don’t get me wrong I love China along with everything in it. But what the Chinese government is doing is just too much.
Jing Jing
Well said!
Jing Jing
By your reasoning, please explain why 馬英九 is the President then?