Taiwanese fans angered by South Korean BL comic author's actions, author apologizes

South Korean BL webcomic author Soop2rang, known for "Red Line Challenge," has issued a public apology to Taiwanese fans following backlash over his decision to open an account on the Chinese platform Weibo and allegations of removing Taiwan's national flag. The controversy sparked anger among Taiwanese netizens, who criticized the author for engaging with Chinese readers while they perceived as pirating his work.

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Recently, I saw the comments you left under the posts related to the Taiwan event, and I realized that many readers felt sad and disappointed with me. I am truly sorry for realizing everyone's feelings so late.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) in traditional Chinese, Soop2rang addressed the concerns, acknowledging the disappointment and sadness of his Taiwanese readers. He expressed deep regret for not realizing their feelings sooner and attributed his actions to a lack of understanding of different cultures and sentiments due to his upbringing in South Korea. He emphasized that any action causing distress was unintentional but that he takes responsibility.

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Because I have always lived in South Korea, there are many things I don't understand about the cultures and emotions of different places. Therefore, even if some things are not intentional, as long as my actions make everyone feel sad or disappointed, I don't want to take it lightly. I will keep everyone's feelings in mind, and I hope I can understand and learn more carefully in the future.

Soop2rang clarified that his participation in overseas events, including pop-up stores, is typically initiated by organizers and does not reflect his prioritization of readers from any specific region. He stressed that he has never divided readers into categories of importance. Regarding the flag controversy, he explained that the removal was part of a broader effort to unify page design for a cleaner look, affecting other regions as well, and was not specifically aimed at Taiwan.

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For overseas pop-up stores or related events, usually the organizers invite me. So, which place holds the event first, or which place holds it later, has absolutely nothing to do with whether I value readers from a certain place more, or put readers from a certain place ahead of others. To me, I have never had the idea of dividing readers into 'which place is more important, which place is less important.'

The author further addressed the desire of Taiwanese fans for a Threads account, stating that he had considered it and inquired about it but had been too busy to set it up. He wrote the lengthy statement to prevent further misunderstandings and to convey his genuine feelings and the actual situation. Soop2rang concluded by expressing his deep appreciation for his Taiwanese fans and his desire to meet them individually to convey his sincerity, promising to learn and be more considerate in the future.

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I have never thought of deliberately excluding Taiwan, nor do I want to treat Taiwan differently.