Controversy at Chinese University Over "No Mention of BTS in K-Pop Lectures"... "It's Asking for Self-Censorship"

SCMP Reports K-pop Has Become a 'Hot Potato' for Chinese Authorities

Group BTS / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A claim has been raised that a university in China ordered the removal of BTS-related content from a K-pop lecture. Some are concerned that this may be a form of retaliation by China following BTS’s mention of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War at a U.S. awards ceremony last month.

On the 16th (local time), Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Jung Areum (37), a Korean assistant professor at the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute jointly established by Sichuan University in China and the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S., was scheduled to give a lecture on K-pop at the business school last month but was notified by Chinese authorities to remove BTS-related content.

According to the media, Jung then refused to give the lecture. She explained to the outlet, "I was angry that the school authorities wanted to censor the lecture content, especially due to the baseless claims of (Chinese) nationalists," and added, "I will not self-censor," explaining her reason for refusing the lecture.

Some suggest that the repercussions may be continuing after BTS commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Korean War at the U.S. 'Van Flint' awards ceremony last month, stating, "We must forever remember the hardships both countries (South Korea and the U.S.) endured together and the sacrifices of many men and women."

Following BTS’s remarks at the awards ceremony, some Chinese netizens strongly criticized BTS, saying they "ignored the sacrifices of Chinese troops during the Korean War," and subsequently, Korean companies such as Samsung removed products endorsed by BTS from Chinese online shopping malls.

SCMP also reported that "K-pop has become a politically 'hot potato' for Chinese authorities" in this situation.

A Korean student living in China told SCMP in an interview, "I have lived in China for over 10 years, but the Chinese Communist Party remains intimidating," and added, "Even when Korean students talk about Korean issues, expressing political opinions in China is not a good idea."

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