Seoul: K-pop star Sunghoon of ENHYPEN has come under fire after a fan forum post included a typo that resembled a racial slur against Japanese people, leading to swift backlash and an apology from the idol.

While trying to write “Good job” during a fan listening session, Sunghoon accidentally wrote “Good j*p,” a term widely recognised as a derogatory slur against Japanese individuals. Although unintentional, the mistake triggered concern and disappointment among fans, particularly given the term's offensive history.

According to fans, the error may have stemmed from the way “good job” is phonetically transcribed in Korean (Hangul), leading to the mistaken spelling.

Sunghoon promptly issued an apology on the same platform, stating:

“During the listening party, I accidentally spelt an English word wrong and it became an issue. I fixed it later after I found out it was wrongly spelt. I had no intentions behind it, and it was simply a misspelt word. Thank you to the ENGENEs who were worried for me. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

He also corrected the phrase and clarified that fellow ENHYPEN member Junghoon helped him identify and amend the mistake.

Though many fans accepted his explanation and appreciated the quick response, the incident highlights the sensitivity of language in global fandoms and the importance of cultural awareness in international fan interactions.

Sunghoon’s apology has been widely shared, with many hoping the controversy serves as a reminder to K-pop idols and agencies to pay close attention to cross-cultural communication, especially in English-language spaces.