SEOUL, South Korea — A planned Kanye West concert in South Korea has been abruptly canceled by Coupang, the e-commerce giant behind the event, citing “recent controversies involving the artist.” The show, scheduled for May 31 in the city of Incheon, will no longer proceed, Coupang and ticket vendor Interpark announced Monday.
The companies offered no specific details about the decision, but the move comes amid renewed global backlash against the American rapper — now legally known as Ye — following the release of a provocative song titled “Heil Hitler” earlier this month.
West’s latest song has drawn widespread condemnation for its explicit praise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator responsible for the Holocaust. The lyrics have reignited criticism over Ye’s pattern of antisemitic rhetoric, which had already damaged his standing with corporate partners and the public.
The concert’s cancellation comes nearly two years after Adidas terminated its partnership with Ye over similar comments. The German sportswear giant officially ended the Yeezy collaboration in October 2022, later selling off the remaining inventory in March.
Coupang, which was organizing the concert through its streaming platform Coupang Play, confirmed that all purchased tickets would be fully refunded. In a further step, the company announced the suspension of all sales of West’s Yeezy fashion merchandise from its platform.
The show in Incheon was billed as a high-profile return for Ye to the Asian concert circuit. Instead, the cancellation marks another setback in his effort to rebuild a public platform following years of controversial and inflammatory behavior.
Ye’s unraveling relationship with the entertainment and fashion industries continues to deepen as companies distance themselves from his increasingly erratic and offensive public statements. Monday’s cancellation follows a pattern of event pullouts, product removals, and sponsorship terminations since West began expressing openly antisemitic and extremist views.
Though Coupang and Interpark refrained from citing specific incidents, Ye’s history of inflammatory comments and recent glorification of Hitler have made it increasingly untenable for global brands to remain affiliated with him.
As outrage grows and backlash intensifies, it remains unclear what public platform — if any — Kanye West will retain. For now, South Korea has joined a growing list of markets unwilling to host the rapper amid his continued controversies.
