'BTS Jung Incident'... "Why Are the Government and Ruling Party Silent?" vs "If You Don't Know, Stay Quiet"

Kim Hyun-ah "The Blue House pretended to be close with BTS... but silent under China's pressure"
Shin Dong-geun "If you don't know, it's best to stay quiet"

On the 7th, at the Van Fleet Award ceremony held online by the Korea Society, a U.S.-based Korea-U.S. friendship nonprofit foundation, the group BTS delivered their acceptance speech.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Shin Dong-geun, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, sharply responded on the 14th to the opposition party's criticism that "the government and ruling party remain silent amid anti-BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) sentiment in China," saying, "If you don't know, it's best to stay quiet."

At the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Shin said, "It's truly perplexing. Are you suggesting that the government should step in and escalate the conflict? As politicians, we should not irresponsibly say anything about diplomatic matters," emphasizing this point.

He added, "When statements by well-known public figures touch on a country's national pride or historical wounds, it often escalates into a major social issue," and pointed out, "In such cases, it is common sense to leave it to the self-correcting and restraining functions of each country's civil society, and if the government's role is necessary, to conduct 'quiet diplomacy.'"

He continued, "The modern history of Northeast Asia is marked by colonial rule, independence struggles, ideological conflicts, and wars more than any other region in the world, and there has been no experience of regional-level alliances between countries," adding, "As a result, national sensitivities tend to come first."

Shin questioned, "What do you think the government should have done?" and criticized, "In the past, conservative parties were said to be competent in foreign affairs and security, if nothing else, but perhaps even that is now a thing of the past."

Shin Dong-geun, a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 9th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, BTS leader RM said at the Van Fleet Award online ceremony on the 7th, an award given to individuals and groups who have contributed to Korea-US relations, "This year's event is especially meaningful as it marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War," and added, "We will forever remember the painful history our two countries endured together and the sacrifices of countless men and women."

In response, a Chinese media outlet reported that the "two countries" mentioned by BTS referred to "Korea and the United States." Some Chinese netizens also expressed anger, claiming that BTS ignored the sacrifices of Chinese soldiers during the Korean War. As the controversy showed signs of spreading to a boycott, some Korean companies even pulled BTS advertisements in China.

Regarding this, Kim, a member of the Emergency Committee, criticized the Blue House and ruling party's silence on the BTS-related controversy through his Facebook on the 13th.

He criticized, "When there is political or commercial value, they rush to act friendly and take care of things, but when faced with a difficult situation, companies get scared and distance themselves, the Blue House remains silent, and even the ruling party that once wanted to exempt the military does not step forward." He added, "It seems we have to protect our BTS ourselves," and said, "ARMY (BTS's fan club name), please help."

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