HOLLAND Apologizes For Now-Deleted Statement About Shipping Male K-Pop Idols

Openly gay K-Pop idol HOLLAND has apologized for a statement he made about shipping male K-Pop idols.

During a live broadcast, HOLLAND was shocked to read a comment, asking him if he ships “Taekook,” the nickname given to BTS‘s Jungkook and V by fans who ship them. In fandom culture, “ship” is a verb, indicating when you want two people to be in a romantic relationship together.

Later, HOLLAND reposted the clip from the live broadcast, and he addressed it again by asking fans not to speculate or ask him about other idols’ sexual orientation. He believes their privacy should be respected, and he doesn’t want anyone to be outed.

Please don’t ask me about whether ‘taekook’ or any other K-pop male idols are gay or dating. It can be disrespectful to them, and it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to know who might be LGBTQ+ in the K-pop industry, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to discuss it.

— HOLLAND

HOLLAND’s statement was met with backlash, though. So, he issued an apology to those fans who were offended by him.

Read more below.

“Are You Taekook Shipper?”: HOLLAND Addresses Fans Who Attempt To Out Gay K-Pop Idols