Former NCT member Mark Lee's apology over a Confederate flag T-shirt has sparked widespread online reaction, with fans focusing on his hesitant, 'um'-filled delivery as much as the apology itself.
Lee addressed the controversy during an Instagram Live on 20 August, nearly two months after photographs of him wearing the shirt surfaced. He specifically apologised to his Black fans and the wider Black community.
'I wanted to say to you guys directly, um, regarding the T-shirt with, uh, the Confederate flag on it,' Lee said. He added that the shirt 'does not reflect who I am as a person' and apologised for the pain the photograph had caused.
um um um #marklee #nct #nct127 #nctdream #kpop
His delivery quickly became a separate talking point. Fans mocked his repeated pauses with comments including 'the umpology' and 'Um (ft. Apology),' while another joked, 'nct boutta sample the "uhhhh's."'
someone said umpology im crying #marklee #kpop #nct #fyp #dontflop
The controversy began on 23 June, when photographs of Lee wearing a vintage T-shirt featuring the Confederate flag circulated online. The symbol is associated with slavery, segregation, racism and white supremacy in the United States.
His label, Upper Room, apologised the following day, saying the shirt had been selected as a vintage item without understanding its historical significance. The company said steps had been taken to prevent similar incidents.
Lee did not personally address the controversy until 20 August. During the livestream, he accepted responsibility and said seeing fans hurt by the photograph had hurt him as well.
He also said he and his team had taken steps to ensure something similar would not happen again and spoke about rebuilding trust through his future actions and music.
Lee repeatedly paused, restarted his thoughts and used 'um' and 'uh' while trying to explain himself. At one point, after discussing steps taken by his team, he struggled to continue before returning to his apology.
The awkward delivery divided fans. Some questioned why Lee appeared so unprepared while addressing such a sensitive controversy, particularly after waiting nearly two months to speak personally.
Others defended him, arguing that his nervousness showed he was addressing the issue directly rather than relying on a polished statement prepared by his team.
The reaction therefore focused on both what Lee said and how he said it, with some fans turning his repeated filler words into memes while others urged people to accept his apology.
Lee's hesitant delivery also became significant because part of his explanation was unclear.
