This Girl Group Used Late Gu Hara’s Photo for Marketing — Sparking Outrage

Japanese girl group f5ve is facing intense criticism after posting a meme using a photo of the late K-pop star Gu Hara for promotional content.

The group shared the image via its official social media accounts, showing Gu Hara with the phrase “IDGAF” (“I Don’t Give a F***”) written over it. The meme, reportedly created by a fan, included a photoshopped coffin beneath Hara’s image — leading many to accuse the group of disrespecting the late singer and using her likeness for shock marketing.

The backlash was swift, with fans and netizens alike condemning the group’s actions as tone-deaf and deeply offensive, especially given Gu Hara’s tragic passing and her legacy as a beloved member of the K-pop group KARA.

f5ve, a five-member Japanese girl group that debuted in 2023, quickly deleted the post after public outcry. On April 10, the group issued an apology, “We thank those who informed us about the inappropriate meme shared in our Instagram story,” f5ve wrote. “While we often share memes created by fans involving f5ve, we were unaware of the context surrounding Gu Hara and the surrounding imagery.”

However, the apology only further fueled criticism. Many fans — particularly in Korea — questioned how a Japanese girl group could claim ignorance of Gu Hara, who was extremely popular in Japan during her time with KARA. Online commenters accused f5ve of making excuses, with some calling their statement a “blatant lie.”

The incident has reignited ongoing conversations about the ethical boundaries of meme culture, especially when it involves real people and sensitive topics like death.

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