BTS Japanese fan meetings cause uproar online amid Tokyo-Seoul diplomatic row
K-pop supergroup BTS were applauded for bringing the people of South Korea and Japan together last month, despite the countries’ deteriorating diplomatic ties, after performing in front of more than 200,000 fans during concerts in Japan.
But when the seven-member outfit announced plans for a set of fan meetings in Japan later this year, many angry fans demanded that BTS management agency Big Hit Entertainment cancel the trip, Japanese news agency Yonhap reported.
Last Friday, Big Hit announced that BTS would hold meet-and-greet sessions with Japanese fans in Chiba on November 22 and 23 and in Osaka on December 14 and 15. The announcement came amid heightened tensions between South Korea and Japan triggered by Tokyo’s sanctions on exports of some Japanese goods to South Korea imposed in early July.
Then last week, South Korea terminated an agreement with Japan that allowed the two countries to share sensitive military intelligence amid the nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.The deepened diplomatic rows further escalated a boycott of Japanese merchandise, services and tours by South Korean consumers.
And now BTS have been dragged into the drama, with some local fans pressing for the cancellation of the upcoming events with a Twitter hashtag which translates to English as #JapanFanMeeting_CancelIt.
What’s driving Japan’s escalating feud with South Korea?
“At this time of bad South Korea-Japan relations, BTS will be subject to criticism if they hold fan meetings in Japan. Would you agree to Japanese fan meetings even if it means the artists you love would be criticised?” one BTS fan posted on Twitter, according to Yonhap.
Another fan tweeted: “Big Hit, please chill out. A Japanese fan meeting? At a time when my friends don’t use even Japanese stationery … Are you serious?”
However, other fans voiced their support for the Japanese trip, using a Twitter hashtag that translates as #Nation_Doesn’t_Matter_In_Music.
Yonhap reported that BTS might find it a challenge to appease jittery fans at home as well as their followers in Japan as the diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo shows no signs of easing.
So far, no major K-pop artists acts have suffered setbacks related to the diplomatic spat, with girl bands Twice and Blackpink still going ahead with concerts in Japan in October and December, respectively.
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