A Japanese Youtuber is facing intense public backlash after posting a video imitating ATEEZ member Choi San while making a gesture widely associated with racism against Asians.
On August 21, footage of Gamix imitating Choi San began spreading across online communities and social media. The controversy started after Gamix uploaded a dance challenge for ATEEZ's hit track 'BAD' while mimicking Choi San's facial expressions and movements.
Gamix was specifically referencing Choi San's appearance at the 2026 Coupang Play Series match between Manchester City and Atlético Madrid on August 9. Choi San had been invited to perform the ceremonial kickoff and also performed part of ATEEZ's 'BAD' on the pitch.
At one point, Gamix pulled the outer corners of his eyes sideways with his fingers. The problem is that this is widely recognized as a racist gesture historically used to mock the appearance of Asians.
As criticism grew, Gamix deleted the video. However, his subsequent actions only fueled the controversy further. Rather than issuing an apology, he uploaded another video in English saying:
“Everyone, these are Asian eyes. When you wake up in the morning, they usually open like this."
Gamix later held a livestream lasting around 50 minutes. Instead of addressing the issue or apologizing to Choi San, he apologized for previous controversial behavior involving soccer player Lionel Messi and YouTuber MrBeast.
The public expressed anger and confusion over his behavior, with comments calling him out, including, "I can't understand why someone who is Asian himself would do something like that," "It’s clearly a racist gesture, not something that can simply be dismissed as a joke,” and “Isn’t he basically insulting his own Asian appearance?”
Born in 2007, Gamix is a Japanese influencer with approximately 1.12 million YouTube subscribers and 2.16 million Instagram followers.
Meanwhile, ATEEZ recently released their 14th mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5' in June. Its title track 'BAD' peaked at No. 8 on Melon’s Top 100 and No. 10 on the weekly chart, while the album topped the U.S. Billboard 200.
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