Mark Lee's newly established label Upper Room has issued a public apology after the former NCT member was photographed wearing a T-shirt featuring the Confederate flag. The incident drew immediate backlash when Upper Room posted the photos on June 23, according to a post shared on Reddit.
What Upper Room Said
The label moved quickly to address the controversy, releasing a statement that was reported by Korea JoongAng Daily. In it, Upper Room offered a direct apology to fans and the wider public:
"We sincerely apologize for the concern, discomfort and disappointment caused to many by the vintage T-shirt that appeared in recently released photos."
Upper Room explained that the shirt had been "solely chosen as a vintage wardrobe item," indicating the label did not intend for the piece to carry any symbolic meaning. Nonetheless, the Confederate flag is widely regarded as a symbol of racism and white supremacy, particularly in the United States, and the choice drew swift criticism from fans online.
Context and Reaction
Mark Lee, widely known simply as Mark, recently departed from NCT and is now signed to Upper Room, making this one of the label's first major moments in the public eye — and an uncomfortable one. Fans expressed disappointment across social media, with many noting that the Confederate flag's painful associations should have made it a clear wardrobe red flag regardless of the vintage framing.
Upper Room's apology appears to acknowledge that good intentions do not erase the real harm such imagery can cause. As Mark begins this new chapter in his career, the incident serves as a pointed reminder that wardrobe choices — especially those involving historically loaded symbols — carry significant weight for artists with large, diverse international fanbases.
