Kim Hyun-ah "Pretending to Be Close with BTS, Silent on China's Criticism" Criticizes Government and Ruling Party

Kim Hyun-ah, Emergency Response Committee Member of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Amid fierce criticism from Chinese netizens over the idol group BTS mentioning the Korean War in their acceptance speech, Kim Hyun-ah, a member of the People Power Party's Emergency Response Committee, criticized the government and ruling party on the 13th, saying, "When there is political or commercial value, they compete to act friendly, but no one steps up in difficult situations."

On the same day, Kim wrote on her Facebook, "Companies are scared and keeping their distance, the Blue House remains silent, and even the ruling party that wanted to exempt the military is not stepping forward," pointing out the situation.

Earlier, on the 7th, BTS received the 'Van Fleet Award' from the Korea Society, a U.S. nonprofit organization, for their contribution to the development of Korea-U.S. relations. BTS leader RM said in his acceptance speech, "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, and we must remember the painful history that both countries endured together and the sacrifices of many men and women."

Regarding this, the Chinese state-run media Global Times reported on the 12th that BTS's acceptance speech angered Chinese netizens, and that 'ARMY (BTS fan club) withdrawals' and 'BTS boycott movements' have begun.

According to the report, some Chinese netizens opposed BTS's acceptance speech, saying, "Because I am Chinese, matters related to national dignity can never be tolerated," and "They are disrespecting the Chinese soldiers who sacrificed and insulting China."

Kim also mentioned the controversy sparked by South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Lee Soo-hyuk's remarks at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit on the 12th, where he said, "Just because we formed an alliance 70 years ago, even though we don't love (the U.S.), we must uphold it, which is an insult to America."

He said, "In the meantime, the ambassador's remarks at the audit seem to suggest that we must succumb to this Chinese pressure as the trend of the times," and questioned, "Ambassador, should we form an alliance with a country that attacks BTS's remarks and disregards national dignity?"

He added, "Anyway, we must protect our BTS. ARMY, please help."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.