JYJ member Kim Jaejoong finds himself at the center of public criticism after he committed two consecutive patriotic gaffes in a row.

On Thursday, while attending a national cultural awards ceremony in Seoul, the singer-actor, who is now an active-duty soldier with the rank of Private First Class, was seen wearing an inverted Korean flag patch on his military uniform.

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Just a few days before, while lending his voice to the opening ceremony of the Korean Basketball League's 2015 game series on Oct. 26, Jaejoong missed a line of the Korean national anthem and paused briefly in the middle of his performance.

Sympathizers said the anthem mistake was minor, and that he was likely experiencing a bout of nervousness.

Others questioned how he could possibly be nervous when he had been performing in public for years as part of a popular and highly successful boy band. Still, the sympathetic outweighed the negative remarks, as some fans insisted that it was different performing as a soldier than as a commoner.

But while there was some measure of understanding over his lyrical error, the sight of an inverted flag on PFC Kim Jaejoong's army uniform seemed too much to pass up on.

Exasperated netizens think he's gone crazy; another asked if he shouldn't be going to jail for such a mistake over the use of a flag patch.

Another stressed that it is basic routine for disciplined soldiers to check on their attire to make sure everything is right, especially when they go to a public function.

Jaejoong enlisted in the military in March to fulfill the mandatory two-year service required of all able-bodied Korean men aged 18 to 35. He completed his basic training in May and is now serving as an active-duty soldier.

His fellow JYJ band member, Park Yoochun, followed suit, enlisting on August 27. Unlike Jaejoong, however, Yoochun will not serve as an active-duty soldier due to his asthma. After his basic training in September, Yoochun was deployed to render civil service, and is now assigned at the Defense Ministry's office in Seoul's Gangnam District.

The third JYJ member, Kim Junsu, is scheduled to enlist next year. Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu have remained in close touch despite being temporarily separated by the call of duty.

TagsJYJ, Kim Jaejoong, KPop, Park Yoochun, Kim Junsu