Adele’s Concert in Munich Sparks Outrage Among Korean Fans: Details

A wave of disapproval has swept over Adele's Korean fanbase after she included an image of the Rising Sun flag in her concert visuals.

The backdrop featuring the controversial flag was showcased on LED screens as the superstar sang "Rumor Has It" during one of her "Adele in Munich" shows in Germany.

The imagery sparked backlash from her Korean audience because of its historical significance to Korea's past.

In South Korea, which was occupied by Japan during the early to mid-1900s, the Rising Sun flag is viewed as "a symbol of Japanese imperialism and war atrocities," CNN reported. It is considered taboo by Koreans, much like the swastika.

The Korean public and media were particularly appalled by the appearance of this symbol in Germany.

Korean users took to social media to voice their disapproval over the imagery the "Rolling In the Deep" hitmaker and her team incorporated into her concert and the perceived lack of historical sensitivity, with translated comments reflecting their ire and disappointment.

"Imagine being this brainless about world history," @EveryDayJiayou wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

User @florenbooty addressed the singer, writing: "Hi, Adele. Today's concert in Munich was absolutely perfect, except for one thing. During the 'Rumor Has It' performance, the Rising Sun flag appeared on the screen. This flag is a symbol of Japanese militarism and holds the same meaning as the Nazi swastika."

"Westeners expect asians to know about hakenkreuz (Nazi swastika) but never ever educate themselves about the horrors that the Japanese regime did that time and how the rising sun flag is such a horrible symbol," @tzuontop wrote.

Adele and her representatives have not yet publicly addressed the matter.

The outrage comes as many European fans who bought tickets to her "Adele In Munich" shows felt betrayed by Ticketmaster's alleged "unfair, non-transparent and exploitive" ticket sales.

Fans alleged that tickets were sold to early buyers at inflated prices during the presale, but more affordable tickets for similar or even better seats were later released to the general public.

In a Change.org petition launched by some fans, they wrote: "During the Presale, fans were systematically misled through deceptive practices and artificial scarcity. After being required to sign up for queue links and wait for hours, initial buyers were assigned overpriced tickets, often located far apart."

"Later, many additional seats were released at cheaper rates better located. The claim, 'There will be more demand than there are tickets available,' during the presale registration was a blatant manipulation to pressure people into buying quickly," the petitioners alleged. "To make matters worse, new sections right by the stage were recently added at a much lower price. This strategy not only unfairly disadvantaged early buyers but also exposed the Presale as a blatant rip-off."

The petition is just a few signatures away from its goal of 1,000.

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