At the 9:15 mark, the interviewer asked, “What separates you from other Korean hip-hop artists?” Leader Zico quipped, “If you look at hip-hop artists, they’re very ugly. But we feel confident in our technical abilities.” The other members burst out laughing at Zico’s response, and P.O even slid back on the couch, pushing his legs up into the air and clapped his hands and feet together in unison. Zico continued, “And sometimes we get crazy assholes like him.” U-Kwon continued laughing and suddenly stood up and started dancing around, followed by a loud monkey imitation as he swung his arms and screeched.
What has really gripped the attention and anger of viewers was the group’s commentary on the recent flooding in Thailand. At the 12:32 mark, the interviewer brought up the crisis, to which Zico replied, “I know that many people have it hard due to the flood. With this monetary aid, we hope that you will feel better. The only thing we have is money.” To this, another member chimed in, asking how much money Zico had, to which the leader answered, “About 7000 won?” which is roughly $6 USD. The other members laughed again.
With such incendiary comments, the Youtube video has quickly escalated in views, earning nearly 103,000 views with a 95% negative rating. While some fans and viewers are defending Block B’s behavior as their typical trolling, the majority of netizens assert that the group has gone too far with this interview.
The issue has received so much attention that Nichkhun, Junho and Chansung of 2PM took to Twitter to comment on the matter.
A Thai American himself, Nichkhun tweeted, “As a Thai, I’m offended by those who talk about the flooding in Thailand without thinking. If you come to Thailand, rather than acting without thinking, please respect this country and only behave with a proper attitude.”
In response to Nichkhun, hip hop legend Drunken Tiger tweeted, “Not everybody like that bro. Keep speaking the truth tho #prayers!”
Junho retweeted Nichkhun’s post then commented, “I won’t say who, but those behaviors and attitudes make me ashamed as a fellow Korean. I wish they would learn that one bad action doesn’t just affect them, but also creates a dirty mess for those around them. I say this as a person and a sunbae.”
Chansung tweeted, “Even if carelessness can seem inevitable even if you’re trying your best to avoid it, if you’re absent-minded and hurt others then act like you’re the best, that’s being careless. This is more than a mistake and proves that you’re that kind of person.. Shame on you.”
