Despite being part of one of the biggest musical genres worldwide, many K-Pop groups and agencies still lack a deeper understanding of other cultures and religions. This issue leads to several instances where idols get called out for cultural and religious appropriation.
Recently, fourth-generation K-Pop group KINGDOM (킹덤) excited fans after they announced a comeback with a new album, “History Of Kingdom: Part VIII”. However, after their agency GF Entertainment released details of the physical albums, many Muslim fans immediately noticed that the album resembles the Islamic Holy Book, the Quran.
The group boasts a king-themed concept with each album they released reflects their royal concept. For example, their previous album, “History Of Kingdom: Part VI”, had Japanese influences as it highlights member Mujin (무진), named after the Japanese Emperor Jinmu. This upcoming album will highlight member Jahan (자한), who was said to be named after the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir.
Unfortunately, the new albums’ designs looked almost identical to the Quran, with the only noticeable difference being the group’s logo replacing the Arabic text on the front. The Quran is a holy and sacred text for Muslims, so understandably, the group and their agency have received flak for using the Quran imagery as a comeback concept.
Many fans have reached out to GF Entertainment to educate the agency about Islam and why the album’s design needs to be changed. However, fans added that the agency should be the one held responsible for the design, believing the members have little to no say in the matter.
Shortly after revealing the album design, GF Entertainment released a statement announcing that preorders for the album were postponed due to “internal circumstances”. The agency has yet to announce a new date or if there will be a change in the album’s design.
We hope GF Entertainment will take this issue seriously and learn from the fans’ feedback.
