PSY is apologizing to Americans for his participation in anti-US protests several years ago.

Park Jae-sang performs as PSY and issued a statement Friday after reports surfaced that he had participated in concerts protesting the U.S. military presence in South Korea during the early stages of the Iraq war. At a 2004 concert he raps about killing "Yankees" who have been torturing Iraqi captives and their families.

The 34-year-old "Gangnam Style" rapper says the protests were part of a "deeply emotional" reaction to the war and the killing of two Korean school girls. He says he "will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words."

Earlier Friday, the White House confirmed President Barack Obama and his family will attend a Dec. 21 charity concert where PSY is scheduled to perform.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.