SEOUL (KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Rapper T.O.P of Korean boyband BigBang on Monday (March 14) apologised for littering in China.

He had been caught on camera throwing a cigarette butt out of a vehicle on a street in China. The video instantly went viral on Chinese social network Weibo and triggered a barrage of international criticism.

T.O.P and his fellow BigBang members reportedly visited China for a scheduled activity on the date of the incident.

In the video named BigBang's T.O.P Criticised For Cigarette Butt Littering In China, a limousine stops as T.O.P, at the back of the car, opens a car window slightly and drops a cigarette butt on the road.

Immediately after the incident, T.O.P responded to Chinese fans and the owner of the video with a heart gesture using his thumb and index finger.

"I dispose of cigarette butts in designated areas or trash bins when I am moving in a vehicle," T.O.P, 27, said in a press release. "But then the vehicle I was in did not belong to us, and the choice I made was a huge mistake. I have no excuse to make. I apologise for my wrongdoing."