Kanye West, Whose Concert Was Canceled for Praising Hitler, to Return to Seoul

July 26, Afternoon at Incheon Munhak Stadium

The American hip-hop maverick Kanye West (Ye/Kanye West), whose concert in Korea was previously canceled due to a series of controversial remarks and actions, including praise for German dictator Adolf Hitler, is now scheduled to perform again next month.

On June 20, the event organizer Channelcandy announced on its official Instagram account that it will hold 'YE LIVE IN KOREA' at Incheon Munhak Stadium on July 26.

American rapper Kanye West. AP Yonhap News

West was originally scheduled to hold the 'Ye Concert in Korea with Coupang Play' at Incheon Munhak Stadium last month. However, the concert was canceled after West released a single titled 'Heil Hitler' and posted messages on social media praising Nazism, which sparked controversy.

In the chorus of this song, West shouts "Heil Hitler" while saying, "They don't understand what I say on Twitter." The latter part of the song even includes a speech by Hitler. Immediately after its release, major streaming sites such as Spotify and SoundCloud blocked the song.

At the time, the American Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized West, calling his words "blatant hate speech." While some fans defending West claimed it was a challenge to taboos, several media outlets, including the British cultural magazine The Spectator, stated that they could not agree with this perspective.

Coupang Play explained that the reason for the concert's cancellation was "recent controversy." Although they did not specify the details, it is believed that West's habitual praise of Hitler and hate speech against Jews were the main issues.

A preview photo of 'YE LIVE IN KOREA' posted on Instagram by the event organizer Channelcandy. Screenshot from Instagram

In the lead-up to the concert, some critics argued that West, who is constantly embroiled in controversy, was being overly commercialized as entertainment. For a major corporation like Coupang, this inevitably posed a burden.

West debuted as a hip-hop star in 2004 with his album 'The College Dropout,' which was nominated in ten categories at the Grammy Awards. Since then, his subsequent albums have also received critical acclaim, placing him among the top-tier artists.

Since the 2020s, West has been embroiled in controversy for making overtly antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements. He has used the Confederate flag, a symbol of racism, on his clothing, and has appeared on far-right YouTube channels making remarks defending Nazis. In February of this year, he posted on X that "slavery was a choice," and later even withdrew his previous apology, continuing his extreme rhetoric and behavior.