Are Psy and Gangnam Style Anti-American?

Psy, the South Korean singer/rapper who became a superstar thanks to “Gangnam Style,” was forced to issue an apology this week after an anti-American song he performed eight years ago came to light.

The song, which he performed in concert in 2004, contains anti-American and anti-Military lyrics. The lyrics included:

“Kill those f**king Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives/Kill those f**king Yankees who ordered them to torture/Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully”

Psy said he is “forever sorry” for the song, which came at a time when South Koreans were outraged after two American soldiers were acquitted of negligent homicide after their vehicle struck and killed two 13-year-old South Korean girls. It also came on the heels of the murder of a South Korean at the hands of terrorists in Iraq in 2002. Psy is set to perform in front of President Obama this weekend, and the White House says the event will go on as planned.

Psy’s statement read:

As a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world.”
“The song in question – from eight years ago – was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two Korean schoolgirls that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time. While I’m grateful for the freedom to express one’s self I’ve learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused anyone by those words.”
“I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months – including an appearance on the Jay Leno show specifically for them – and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology. While it’s important we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that though music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology.”

Listener’s dont put together “Gangnam Style anti-American” when they think of Psy, but this is no doubt a black eye on his meteoric rise.

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