Hearts2Hearts Faces Political Backlash Over Comeback Photo Controversy

Hearts2Hearts is facing backlash after a promotional photo for their upcoming comeback sparked a political controversy.

The SM Entertainment girl group announced their second mini album, Lemon Tang, on June 1 (KST). Among the teaser images was one showing member Stella posing as a weather forecaster. She held a lemon while pointing at a map of South Korea covered with the word “Lemon.” The photo included the text: “Lemon Tang Alert: Fresh Condition Expected. A New Atmospheric Phenomenon,” along with the album’s release date.

The controversy began when Korean netizens noticed the map did not include Dokdo Island. Dokdo is a disputed territory claimed by both South Korea and Japan. South Korea currently controls the islets and considers them part of Ulleung County in Gyeongsang Province, while Japan claims them as part of Okinoshima, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture.

Fans quickly reacted, accusing SM Entertainment of excluding Dokdo to avoid upsetting their Japanese fanbase. Netizens flooded comments with harsh criticism.

“I stan SM idols, but whenever things like this happen, I seriously want to beat the sh*t out of the agency.”

“Why would they do it?”

“They’re insane.”

“It makes me wonder if they’re doing that on purpose, knowing full well how sensitive this issue is.”

“That agency is always full of scandals involving their Chinese and Japanese artists, lol.”

“Stop worrying so much about what Japan thinks. It’s our land, after all.”

As the situation unfolded, SM Entertainment took down the original photo and replaced it with a corrected version that clearly included Dokdo Island. While some fans appreciated the fix, others felt the mistake should never have happened.

The controversy highlights the sensitivity surrounding territorial issues in K-pop promotions and the scrutiny agencies face over political matters.