Despite several issued apologies, the controversy surrounding K-pop singer IU for the song "Zeze" has snatched headlines overseas.
On Monday, British publication The Guardian published a story highlighting the unexpected rise in sales of the novel "My Sweet Orange Tree" after its five-year-old protagonist Zeze became the central figure of IU's pop song.
"Zeze is a character with flaws," explained IU according to allkpop.
"In a certain light, he is described as an 'angelic child' and a 'child with a shining heart,' but in another light, he is portrayed as 'a devilish, contrarian character.' He is innocent but also cruel. He is very mischievous so he acts meanly towards others. It makes sense because Zeze is a young child. That's why I feel he is charismatic and sexy."
This reported interpretation of the Zeze, coupled with the album artwork for her latest album "Chat-Shire," has ignited criticism from the public for allegedly sexualizing the fictional character.
After drawing backlash from the public and the Korean publisher of "My Sweet Orange Tree," IU has since issued a formal apology.
"I swear I did not write the lyrics to sexualize a five-year-old child," read the statement.
"The Zeze in my song is a third-party fictional creation taken from the motif in the original novel. However, after listening to the opinions of those who have listened to the song, I came to realize that its contents could have given offense and even caused some to grieve. I am wholly responsible for my immature handling of things as a lyricist."
Reportedly, the unexpected international attention of this controversy has caught some Korean observers off-guard.
In addition, the "Chat-Shire" track "23" has received criticism for allegedly sampling Britney Spears' hit single "Gimme More."
"We got a request from Loen Tree Entertainment asking to confirm the voice sampling [in IU's song]," said Sony Music according to Daily Sports. "We have submitted a request to the Sony American HQ and Britney Spears herself will need to check whether the voice is indeed hers."
