Hyukoh's first single in 6 years draws controversy over MV actress's ties to Japanese colonial-era PM

Hyukoh dropped GODSPEED! on August 18, their first single in six years since the EP 사랑으로. The four-piece — Oh Hyuk, Lee In-woo, Lim Dong-geon, and Lim Hyun-je — debuted in September 2014 with the EP 20 and built their catalog on tracks like "Tomboy," "Wiing Wiing," "Wari Gari," and "Gondry." The new song deals with repetitive daily life and the sense of powerlessness that accumulates within it.

The music video, released one day before the audio, stars Japanese actress Ando Sakura — known in Korea for Shoplifters, Monster, and 100 Yen Love. That casting is now at the center of a controversy. Ando Sakura is the great-granddaughter of Inukai Tsuyoshi, Japan's 29th Prime Minister during the colonial period. In the April 1896 issue of Nihonjin, Inukai wrote a piece titled "How to Enlighten Joseon" that argued "foolish Koreans with strong bodies should labor for noble Japanese people." His son, Inukai Takeru, later served as Minister of Justice.

(The band has not publicly commented as of publication.) A six-year gap between releases is long by any standard. The backlash has landed on a comeback that was already notable just for existing.