A large billboard ad for a food company that was installed in the city of Cardiff last week which features the likeness of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is going to be taken down due to the controversy it caused, WalesOnline reports.
The billboard in question – an ad for the London-based Soulful Food Company - depicts Kim holding a bowl of food, with a mushroom cloud visible in the background, and sports the words "Ahhh, Soul!", which may or may not be a pun on how the name of the South Korean capital is pronounced by English speakers.
Controversial 'Ahhh Soul' billboard in Cardiff that features Kim Jong-un to be removedhttps://t.co/3ssOnz8it7 pic.twitter.com/67wezQ7ZMf
— WalesOnline (@WalesOnline) November 3, 2020
According to the media outlet, the company has since ended up apologising for "any offense caused by the poster", as a number of people has branded the ad as "racist".
"We’re really sorry we’ve caused offence and realise we have made a misjudgment with this advert", a spokesman for the company said. "Our intention was to highlight the world needs more soul right now, but we got the message wrong. We will be taking them down as soon as possible."
News of the billboard's impending removal have also elicited a somewhat mixed reaction online, as while some netizens seemed glad to have it gone, others still appeared more amused than offended for the ad.
Glad to see it going. A bit of offensiveness is ok in the name of comedy but this isn’t even funny.
— Alyson Twyman (@AlysonTwyman) November 3, 2020
Controversial.....it's comedy 🤣
— Mikey (@Mikey80572791) November 3, 2020
Cardiff just got in the Cross hairs of NK. pic.twitter.com/X1pnkVFcMa
— OLLIE PHILLIPS (@olliejphillips) November 3, 2020
