Taeyang faces renewed racism allegations over resurfaced video

BIGBANG member Taeyang is facing renewed criticism on social media following the resurfacing of a video from 2016. The clip shows the singer using a filter to alter his appearance to resemble Kanye West and using a voice imitation, while wishing fans a “happy monkey new year.”

The phrase “happy monkey new year” was intended as a reference to the Chinese zodiac year of 2016. However, international fans have criticized the footage as racially insensitive and mocking toward Black artists.

Supporters of the singer have noted that the original post was deleted in 2016 and that Taeyang issued an apology at the time, taking responsibility for the mistake. Many fans have argued that the incident was already addressed a decade ago and should not be used to fuel current controversies.