A shocking revelation has sparked outrage among BTS fans worldwide. The popular K-pop group delivered their final performance as a full group in Busan in 2022 before their hiatus.
ARMYs went to great lengths to attend the Busan concert in South Korea, which also served as a promotional event for the World Expo.
A shocking report from MBC reveals that the current South Korean government scammed BTS out of $4.75 million (around 7 billion won) in support of their concert in the Busan World Expo bid.
Reports indicate that BTS was meant to receive 7 billion KRW for their Busan concert. However, the South Korean government allegedly ended up scamming them, forcing them to perform for free and cover all the costs of organizing the concert.
Moreover, the government placed the burden of organizing the event on BTS. They initially suggested a venue that had inadequate safety measures for large gatherings. As a result, BTS had to take on the responsibility of finding a new venue, which ultimately became the Busan Asiad Stadium.
On top of that, the government poorly handled the World Expo bid overall. They put all the pressure on BTS to promote it and meet the huge public expectations. It’s worth mentioning that the economic benefits of hosting a World Expo can be similar to those of the Olympics or major football championships.
With that said, this is not the government’s first and only attempt to exploit BTS and leverage their influence.
In 2023, another promotional event called the Jamboree concert came under heavy criticism for its organization. The Ministry of Defense even urged the government to “take all measures” to ensure BTS performed, including using their authority over enlisted members. Fortunately, HYBE and BIGHIT MUSIC successfully turned down that proposal.
If fans think that’s problematic, there is more. South Korea has been pushing for laws that would allow BTS members to enlist in the military for specific periods while still being able to perform in between. These laws were supposedly proposed to support the national economy.
However, this idea was both controversial and flawed, mainly because current laws would prevent BTS from earning money from these performances, as enlisted soldiers are not allowed to have paying jobs. Fans are criticizing the government for their attempts to continue using BTS for the country during their military service without giving them any exemptions.
“SK DO NOT DESERVE BTS” and other hashtags have been trending after the report went viral. ARMYs are showing their love and support and urging better treatment for the group considering their efforts.
On another note, the remaining BTS members will join Jin and J-Hope after completing military service in June 2025.
