Controversy from a rookie Kpop Girl group due to one of its member

H1-KEY is an upcoming four-member girl group under GLG. They are set to make their debut on January 5, 2022. Before the debut, it seems numerous netizens, both Korean and international, raised voices of protest against Sitala debuting in the upcoming girl group, after it was revealed that Sitala's late father had participated in Thailand's anti-democracy campaign. They claimed that Sitala's father was an elite who supported Thailand's rule under military dictatorship. Due to this sudden controversies regarding the family of one of the member, Grand Line Group, home to the upcoming rookie K-Pop girl group H1-KEY, issued an official statement in response to the recent controversy surrounding the group's Thai-member, Sitala.

The agency said due to the complexity of this issue, which involved H1-KEY member Sitala and her late father's involvement in affairs such as the politics, the government, the economy, and the society of Thailand, it took time for the agency to thoroughly understand the problems at hand, and we are very careful in dealing with the matter.

After examining the details, we have determined that it would be wrong to put Sitala in a situation of disadvantage solely due to the actions of her late father. The agency believes that it would be extreme to hold Sitala responsible for events which she did not have a role in. As a result, there will be no member changes to H1-KEY.

The Sitala that we have gotten to know at our agency is loyal and well-mannered. She loves her home country and takes pride in Thai culture and the Thai people. She has always stated that one of her greatest motivations for her success was to make Thailand more known to people across the globe, and to bring warmth to the people of Thailand. She has put in tireless efforts to fulfill her passionate dreams. We sincerely hope that everyone will cheer on Sitala so that her efforts will not go to waste.

GLG also promises to take greater caution in matters regarding the concerns of K-Pop fans both domestically and overseas.

Even after such official statements from the agency, many netizens keep attacking the member. They said: I find it astounding that they have overlooked her social media posts that actually stand in defiance of democracy. Idols have been kicked out of groups for less.

At 18, she joined the anti-election protests and shut down the airport to call for the military to join the coup. Last year, at her father's funeral, she also spoke closely with the dictator's leaders. She also posted insulting and slanderous messages against groups of people who were calling for elections and democracy on her SNS.

Her actions caused the deaths of nearly 100 people who protested for democracy, and they put Thailand under the rule of a military dictatorship for more than seven years. While people in Thailand struggle with dictatorships, she fled to live in a democratic country. If she loves Thailand, as she said, why doesn't she come back and live with the dictator she called for?

The comments above really shows that many Thai people will be still angry toward her debuting in a kpop group.