Posted on : Oct.21,2019 18:28 KST
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A Uniqlo ad depicting a woman in her 90s and a teenage girl wearing the same fleece. (Uniqlo website)
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Japanese clothing brand issues official apology, emphasizing company has no political affiliations
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A Uniqlo ad depicting a woman in her 90s and a teenage girl wearing the same fleece. (Uniqlo website)
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Uniqlo has decided to pull an advertisement that was accused of insulting former comfort women.
“This advertisement was part of a global series commemorating the 25th anniversary of our fleece jackets. While it bears absolutely no relation to any political or religious matters, convictions, or organizations, we take seriously the inconvenience felt by many individuals and decided to take down the advertisement on the same day [that accusations were raised],” the Japanese clothing brand announced on Oct. 20.
“The advertisement was already pulled from most platforms, including digital ones, on Oct. 19, and it will stop showing at some broadcasters on Monday, as circumstances permit.”
The recently released commercial depicts a conversation between a woman in her 90s and a teenage girl. When the girl asks the elderly woman what she used to wear when she was a teenager, the elderly woman says, “I can’t remember that far back.”
But the Korean subtitles were translated more loosely to read, “I can’t remember things from more than 80 years ago.” Since 80 years ago was 1939, during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, some say that Uniqlo was using the commercial to mock Koreans for bringing up the comfort woman issue.
“Since our models were Iris Apfel, who is still active in the fashion world at the age of 98, and Kheris Rogers, a 13-year-old fashion designer, we added the age gap between the two individuals to the subtitles to make it clear to our Korean viewers that two people who are so far apart in age both enjoy wearing fleece jackets,” Uniqlo said on Oct. 18.
“Uniqlo has no connection to any political or religious matters, convictions, or organizations anywhere on earth,” the company added.
By Shin Min-jung, staff reporter
Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
