Hyukoh releases new song 'Godspeed!' after 6 years... controversy over Ando Sakura's appearance in the music video

The band Hyukoh has released a new song, ″GODSPEED!″, for the first time in six years, drawing attention as Japanese actress Ando Sakura appears in the music video for the track. Hyukoh will release the new single ″GODSPEED!″ on various music platforms at 6 p.m. on the 18th. This new song honestly expresses the repetitive daily life and the growing lethargy within it, marking their first new release in six years since the 2020 EP album ″With Love.″ Amid high expectations from fans, the music video was released first on the 17th, ahead of the song’s release. The music video stars Japanese actress Ando Sakura, known domestically for films such as ″Shoplifters″ and ″The Host.″ After it was revealed that Ando Sakura is the great-granddaughter of Inukai Tsuyoshi, the 29th Prime Minister of Japan during the Japanese colonial period, various reactions arose regarding her casting. Inukai Tsuyoshi served as Japan’s Prime Minister from 1931 to 1932 and is said to have left writings that revealed imperialist ideologies. In an article titled ″How to Enlighten Korea,″ published in the 19th issue of ″Nihonjin″ in April 1894, he reportedly argued that ″sturdy but ignorant Koreans must work for the noble Japanese.″ Inukai Tsuyoshi’s son, Inukai Takeru, was also a politician who served as Japan’s Minister of Justice. Some referred to Ando Sakura’s appearance as related to a ″war criminal family,″ but war criminals refer to those prosecuted and punished for war crimes at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and other courts after World War II. Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated by naval officers on May 15, 1932, while serving as Prime Minister and is not classified as a war criminal. Amid recent controversies over actor Ha Young’s great-grandfather’s pro-Japanese actions, interest in celebrities’ family histories and historical awareness has increased, leading to various opinions about Hyukoh’s music video casting. Some expressed regret that the music video was released shortly after Liberation Day. Hyukoh’s agency stated, ″Fan reactions were also enthusiastic immediately after the music video was released,″ adding that fans showed deep empathy with the video. However, many comments on the YouTube channel where the music video was posted mentioned the related controversy. Netizens left remarks such as, ″Did they really have to cast Ando Sakura?″, ″I’m curious about how she views her ancestors,″ ″Is this intentional?″, and ″It’s only been a few days since Liberation Day.″ Meanwhile, before appearing in Hyukoh’s music video, Ando Sakura had already challenged Korean cinema through director Jung Joo-ri’s new film ″Dora.″ Hyukoh’s agency has not issued a separate statement regarding the recent controversy.