BTS’ planned appearance on “Music Station,” a flagship music program of Japanese broadcaster Asahi, has been canceled, stirring up a whirlwind of controversy.

The announcement came a day before the K-pop act’s scheduled appearance on the Japanese music program slated for Friday. “Music Station” stated on its official website, “A specific T-shirt worn by a BTS member caused a controversy, which was reported by media. We asked about the intention of wearing the outfit to the act’s agency and tried to discuss it. After overall consideration, however, we decided to cancel the act’s appearance on the show.”

Big Hit Entertainment also shared the news on the group’s official Japanese fan page with an apology. 

In October, a Japanese media outlet had reported about BTS member Jimin wearing a shirt that featured a photo of Koreans celebrating liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 and an atomic bomb dropped in Japan.

The garment also showed words like “Patriotism,” “Our History,” “Liberation” and “Korea.”

Claiming that the T-shirt instigated anti-Japanese sentiment, the media outlet even described the group as “anti-Japanese.”

Following the news about the canceled Japanese appearance, Korean netizens have been sending their support to BTS with comments like, “What’s wrong with a Korean wearing a shirt that celebrates Korea’s Liberation Day?” “So canceling the show was related to the T-shirt after all. That’s not an anti-Japanese shirt, it’s a historical fact” and “I’m proud of BTS for canceling the show and its historical consciousness.”

Meanwhile, BTS’ new Japanese single “Fake Love/Airplane pt.2,” released Wednesday, ranked No. 1 on the Oricon daily single chart.

BTS will perform at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 13 and 14, before moving on to the Nagoya Dome, Kyosera Dome in Osaka and Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome, as part of its “Love Yourself” tour in Japan.


(lotus@heraldcorp.com)