Let's Start From The Beginning Who Are The Bts?

Before we know why China got so mad at this South Korean boyband, let's get to know them better. It's BTS: the South Korean boyband.

BTS, Bangtan Sonyeondan, also known as Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boyband made up of seven boys and formed by Big Hit Entertainment.

They debuted in June 2013 and were among the first to introduce Kpop to the US market.

Born as a hip hop group, later they also embraced other genres, what separates them from other Kpop boy bands are precisely the themes addressed in the songs. The lyrics are about love, psychologists, mental health, etc.

In addition, the songs are written by the septet itself.

Now they are famous all over the world and are accompanied by a real wave of hardened fans who would follow them everywhere.

BUT WHY DID THE BOYBAND ANGER CHINA?

During these months of lockdown, BTS had to stop their concerts and adapt to the new world situation. But all their fans needed to hear and see them at least live.

Brilliant idea: in October 2020 they create a virtual event that reached 114 million views, setting a new record for the South Korean boy band.

The concert was set in a large stage and, behind the singers, you can see the smiling and amused faces of the fans. They participated in the live singing, dancing and exchanging messages in the chat room.

Kpop fashion is also spreading in China and a lot of Chinese fans were present at the live concert, who watched with amusement until the comment of one of the band members.

He said the Korean War (1950-1953) was a "story of pain" shared between South Korea and the United States. Forgetting that the American and South Korean forces fought a merciless war against the Chinese and North Korean ones.

CONSEQUENCES

This comment was caused within a few days, also due to the speed at which news spreads on the web, the anger, and disappointment of Chinese fans.

Inevitably, this has also led to measures being taken on the market. Although Samsung distanced itself from the claims that were made during the concert. Thus, advertisements for BTS smartphones and headphones have disappeared from Chinese e-commerce platforms, as have other brands sponsored by the South Korean band.

Are you interested in Korean pop music? Kpop is a very close relative of Jpop, the Japanese pop, from which it often takes inspiration and with which it shares many characteristics.