Mark Lee is at the center of Upper Room’s first major public apology since he launched the one-person agency earlier this month. On the 23rd, the company said it was responding to concern over recently shared photos that showed him wearing a T-shirt featuring the Confederate flag.
Upper Room said, “We sincerely apologize for the concern, discomfort, and disappointment caused by the vintage T-shirt that appeared in recently shared photos.” The agency added that the clothing was chosen “solely because it is a vintage item,” while also saying it recognized the historical significance and sensitivity of the symbol and had taken steps to keep it out of official content.
Upper Room’s April 23 response
The apology matters because it came from Mark’s own agency, not a distant corporate handler. He left NCT 127 and NCT DREAM in April this year and parted ways with SM Entertainment as his exclusive contract expired, so Upper Room’s statement is now the public-facing response for his image decisions.
Upper Room and Mark also said they reject racism, hate, discrimination, and any form of exclusion or narrow-mindedness. For a 27-year-old artist who only recently set up his own shop, the statement is more than damage control; it is the first test of how he and the agency manage scrutiny outside SM Entertainment’s system.
Confederacy and the symbol
The flag at the center of the apology is tied in the source to white supremacy, racism, and slavery, and the Confederacy is described as a nation formed in 1861 by 11 southern U.S. states that seceded from the United States while insisting on slavery. That history is why a vintage item can still trigger a public response when it surfaces in shared images rather than a staged appearance.
Mark’s side said, “Regardless of intent, we acknowledge that this issue should have been handled with greater caution and care.” That line is the practical pivot in the story: the agency is not disputing the image, but it is drawing a line between a clothing choice and the standard it now says it must apply before anything becomes official content.
Review steps for Upper Room
Upper Room said it would strengthen its clothing and content review procedures after the controversy. For readers following Mark’s move away from SM, that means the new agency now has to prove it can catch the kind of visual misstep that can become a branding problem within hours.
The open issue is not the apology itself. It is whether the tighter review process stays internal and whether the same standard will apply every time Mark Lee appears in newly shared photos, since the agency has already shown it will be judged on the details around a single shirt.
