Converse apologized Thursday and pulled a global ad campaign featuring K-pop star Karina of aespa after social media users compared its imagery to a Ku Klux Klan hood and a lynching. The photo, part of the brand's "Chuck 70 X" campaign, showed Karina in an oversized white skirt holding a pair of sneakers, with shadow and lighting making the shoes appear to dangle beneath a pointed white shape.

"We're sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong," Converse said in a statement, per TMZ. "We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared." The brand's response and the underlying image were also confirmed by WWD.

Critics online questioned how the image made it through Converse's approval process, though no outlet has reported evidence the imagery was intentional.