Japanese Idol Slammed For Tone-Deaf Post Following Jeju Air Crash

A member of Japanese boy band &Team has come under fire for his insensitive post following the tragic Jeju Air crash on December 29 that killed 179 people.

The plane crash is the worst ever aviation disaster in South Korea and the government has declared seven-day national mourning period until January 4.

According to reports, Fuma uploaded several snaps on a fan interaction platform Weverse around an hour after news of the plane crash broke.

The selfies showed the Japanese idol flashing the victory sign with a caption consisting of fruit and airplane emojis.

The inclusion of the airplane emojis in the post amidst a tragic aviation accident drew significant backlash, with many labelling it tone-deaf.

“After a tragic plane crash with significant casualties, how could any idol post a picture with an airplane emoji?” asked one netizen.

Another blasted: “You travelled to Bangkok for an awards ceremony, but you can’t even be considerate enough to recognise the gravity of the situation? This is so shocking and devoid of empathy.”

Fans also expressed disappointment in the singer and called for mindfulness from idols when engaging on social platforms during such critical moments.

The post has since been deleted.

&Team is the first Japanese boy group created by K-pop powerhouse Hybe, the company behind BTS.

The nine-man group consists of a Korean member, a Taiwanese member and seven from Japan.