Koyote Cancels KT Wiz Performance Amid Shinji Backlash

Veteran K-pop group Koyote has pulled out of a planned celebratory performance at a KT Wiz home game after member Shinji drew criticism for comments about turning down a ceremonial first pitch. The group's agency, J.G Star, announced the cancellation on the 14th, saying it had reached an agreement with the baseball club to call off the show.

"We have accepted the concerns and voices of KT Wiz fans and finalized discussions with the club to not proceed with the celebratory performance," the agency said.

Koyote had originally been scheduled to appear at a KT Wiz home game as part of a post-game performance. During planning, Shinji was separately offered the chance to throw the ceremonial first pitch but declined. In a recently released YouTube video, she said, "I told them it would be difficult for me to throw the first pitch because I'm a Hanwha Eagles fan."

In the same video, Shinji said, "I can't be wearing a Hanwha uniform, right?" A caption reading "We'll wait for your Hanwha first pitch" was added on screen. Some KT fans said the segment showed a lack of consideration for the home team and its supporters. Others argued that declining the first pitch was the right call given that she is a fan of a rival team. As the debate grew, Shinji's side took the video down.

The agency said the sequence of events had been misunderstood. "We initially received an offer from the KT Wiz organization to perform at a post-game celebratory stage," it said. "We decided to accept, regardless of any specific team allegiance, because we felt it was a chance for Koyote to bring enjoyment to fans who came out to the ballpark."

The agency added that a separate first-pitch offer came in during event planning. "As a Hanwha Eagles fan, Shinji throwing the first pitch at a KT Wiz home game would not be respectful to fans of either the home or visiting team, and could cause emotional discomfort," it said. "We judged that and politely declined the first-pitch offer only."

The agency also apologized for how the situation played out. "In the process of the content being released, the situation and context at the time were not fully conveyed, and we unintentionally caused misunderstanding and discomfort for KT Wiz fans," it said. "We will look more carefully at every step of how we communicate with the public and fans going forward so this kind of misunderstanding does not happen again."