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Key news outlets such as the BBC covered the cancellation of a BTS performance on a Japanese TV program. (screenshot from BBC website)
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Cancellation sparks coverage on Japan’s history of war crimes by international press
News outlets around the world reported on the cancelation of a televised performance in Japan by the popular South Korean boy band BTS (Bangtan Boys). Along with reports that the performance was cancelled because of a T-shirt worn by one of the members with Korean independence slogans, the international press also provided details on the history of Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea – turning the incident into an occasion for sharing Japan’s history of war crimes with the rest of the world. CNN, the BBC, and Al Jazeera were among the major overseas news outlets scrambling to report on Nov. 9 on the cancellation of BTS’s scheduled performance on the TV show “Music Station.” Previously, a Japanese news outlet reported that BTS member Jimin had worn a T-shirt showing a photograph of an exploding atomic bomb along with phrases related to independence. Conscious of anti-Korean sentiment in Japan, the station moved to cancel the scheduled BTS performance. In a Nov. 9 report titled “BTS performance in Japan canceled amid anger over atomic bomb shirt,” CNN wrote, “The station said in a statement it chose not to feature BTS after speaking with the record company about why BTS band member Jimin had chosen to wear the shirt.” The reported also noted that “[b]oth South Korea and Japan are particularly sensitive when it comes to the legacy of World War II.” “Millions of Koreans suffered under Japanese occupation and their treatment continues to impact relations between Tokyo and Seoul,” it continued, noting that the Korean Peninsula “was only liberated after the allies defeated Japan” with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the war. A BBC report mentioned the issue of Japan’s conscription of workers during the occupation alongside news of the BTS performance cancellation, focusing its attention on the souring of relations between South Korea and Japan since a recent Supreme Court ruling on forced mobilization. Al Jazeera noted that Jimin “reportedly wore the shirt last year, on August 15, the day on which Koreans celebrate the end of Japanese occupation in 1945.” “Ties between Japan and South Korea continue to be soured by bitter disputes over history and territory stemming from Japan's brutal 1910-1945 colonial rule over the peninsula,” it continued. BTS controversy different from past incidents due to group’s global popularity It is far from the first time a South Korean entertainer has suffered a backlash due to controversy over messages perceived as anti-Japanese. Singer Lee Seung-chul was abruptly refused entry to Japan after releasing a unification song for Liberation Day on the Dokdo islets. Actor Kim Tae-hee, who appeared in a Japanese miniseries in 2011, was the focus of vehement protests from conservative groups that demanded the show not be aired because of her past participation in a “Dokdo love” campaign. Both became matters of controversy between South Korea and Japan at the time before eventually quieting down. But BTS represents a different situation. The group is one of the hottest acts in the world at the moment, with legions of fans around the world. Their YouTube videos have seen more than 3.2 billion views, and the US current affairs weekly Time recently put them on its cover as “next generation leaders.” BTS fans are also highly active, sharing interpretations of their lyrics and music videos online. This means the controversy over the Japanese television appearance cancellation has also become a new opportunity for fans around the world to learn about the brutalities committed by Japan during its occupation of Korea. Some observers are now saying the network’s rash decision counts as an “own goal” that has only drawn the world’s attention to Japan’s war crime history. By Ock Kee-won, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
