Nearly a month and a half after singer Choi Yena became embroiled in a controversy over the title of her new song, her agency has officially issued an apology.

On the 5th, Choi Yena’s agency, Yue Hua Entertainment, stated through their official fan cafe, “We apologize for not being able to promptly provide fans with information related to the artist and album activities in relation to Choi Yena’s second single album ‘HATE XX,’ released on June 27th.”

The agency stated, “We humbly accept the earnest criticism and love from our fans and will listen to various opinions and make even more effort in the future.” They added, “We ask for your continued interest and love for Choi Yena, who will continue to meet with fans.”

Previously, on June 27th, Choi Yena faced controversy over the title of the title track of her second single, ‘HATE XX,’ titled ‘Hate Rodrigo.’

‘Hate Rodrigo’ is a song where Choi Yena personally participated in writing and composing, expressing her admiration for Olivia Rodrigo, a figure she looks up to, with cute jealousy through the lyrics “I hate everyone who’s doing better than me!” However, the use of the word ‘Hate,’ which carries strong negative connotations like ‘hatred,’ and the mention of a contemporary singer’s name led to criticism from netizens.

Additionally, the music video for ‘Hate Rodrigo’ was abruptly made private due to issues related to portrait rights, with Olivia Rodrigo’s photos being deleted and then the video being re-released. The agency explained, “‘Hate Rodrigo’s’ music video contained scenes that potentially infringed upon trademark rights, portrait rights, and copyrights. The fact that the music video was made private was not due to Olivia Rodrigo’s request.”

As the controversy spread, Choi Yena’s activities, including music show appearances, were naturally concluded due to health conditions and other factors.