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HONG KONG, Oct 12 (Reuters): South Korean boy band BTS faces a barrage of criticism in China after its leader made comments about the Korean War and several big-name brands, including Samsung, have apparently distanced themselves from the K-pop group. in the midst of the ruckus.
The controversy is the latest example of political landmines lurking from big brands in China, the world’s second-largest economy.
The leader of BTS, known by the initials RM, upset many people in China in a speech when the band received an award from a United States-based organization for their contribution to relations between South Korea and the United States.
RM invoked a “story of pain” shared between South Korea and the United States and, referring to the 1950-53 Korean War, spoke of “sacrifices of countless men and women.”
The war pitted South Korean and American forces against North Korea and China.
The comments sparked a heated debate on social media in China.
“They shouldn’t make money from China,” said an angry user on the Weibo platform, referring to BTS.
“If you want to make money from Chinese fans, you have to take into account Chinese sentiments.”
Posts showing Samsung’s special edition BTS smartphones and headphones disappeared from Chinese e-commerce platforms Tmall and JD.com as controversy mounted.
BTS-related posts from other companies, including sportswear brand FILA and automaker Hyundai, which have endorsement deals with the seven-member group, also disappeared from their official Weibo accounts, Chinese users said.
It was unclear if the companies or someone else had removed the posts. Samsung, FILA and Hyundai did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by Reuters.
The band’s management company, Big Hit Entertainment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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