"Visitor from the north?". A U.S. comedian mentioned 'North Korea' toward the popular idol group BTS, sparking accusations of racism. Not long after a racism controversy over 'K-pop Demon Hunters' at the Academy Awards, another discrimination controversy targeting Asian content has arisen in the United States, drawing strong criticism.
On the 25th (local time), BTS appeared as a guest on the U.S. NBC variety show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (commonly called the Jimmy Fallon show). During the opening talk, a racist remark appeared, heating up global fans and social media.
On that day, U.S. comedian Seth Herzog, who led the opening of the Jimmy Fallon show, asked the audience, "Is there anyone from the north here? No one?" The popular Korean idol group BTS was the guest that fans had been expecting. He made a joke aimed at North Korea, not South Korea.
However, audience members at the scene criticized it as a racist remark aimed at BTS rather than a simple joke. The remark quickly spread on social media and drew sharp criticism. Some internet users demanded an official apology on Seth Herzog's social media. But Seth Herzog dismissed it by switching his social media accounts to private.
According to local foreign media, Seth Herzog separately apologized to BTS over the matter. The broadcaster is also said to have discussed the appropriateness of the matter independently of Seth Herzog.
The controversy eased somewhat with quick apologies and responses, but recent racist actions against K-pop in North America leave lingering regret beyond this incident.
Earlier, on the 15th at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the 98th Academy Awards saw the Netflix animated film K-pop Demon Hunters (commonly called KDH), which featured K-pop and Korean idol groups, win both best animated feature and best original song, taking two awards.
But the directors and the composers of the best original song did not all receive sufficient time for acceptance speeches. At the earlier directors award, director Maggie Kang and co-director Chris Appelhans both gave remarks, followed by producer Michelle Wing, but their speeches were cut off as exit music played.
At the subsequent best original song award, Lee Jae, the singer, composer and lyricist of KDH's popular OST 'Golden,' spoke first and passed the microphone to the co-composers. However, none of them were able to speak; their prepared remarks were cut off by exit music.
The scene was broadcast live, creating an awkward atmosphere at the venue and drawing criticism from internet users watching. While it was being broadcast live in Korea, host Ahn Hyun-mo expressed regret, saying, "There are so many winners," and compared by saying, "Earlier, the short film acceptance speech was given fairly long."
Foreign media also raised critical voices. CNN said, "If enough time had been given, it would have been a more meaningful moment," and added, "The Oscars should not ignore K-pop in this way."
Rob Mills, president of Walt Disney Television who oversaw the broadcast, explained, "It is the most difficult issue every year. Speaking time is limited for all winners, and if it is exceeded, the broadcast may inevitably interrupt the remarks." He added that they are "considering various improvements, such as designating a representative speaker or delivering the remaining remarks backstage or via social media," and said, "We want to keep all options open and find what is the most polished solution. It's an issue that requires careful consideration."
Nevertheless, disappointment remained. In less than a month, the popular U.S. talk show the Jimmy Fallon show featured a racist gag directed at the popular idol group BTS. Global fans who love BTS and K-pop are raising their voices in protest.
Overseas fans ridiculed the act, saying, "Despite knowing the difference between South Korea (south) and North Korea (north), deliberately doing that is an ignorant joke that demeans a country's history," and lamented, "The Jimmy Fallon show should apologize for this." Above all, they emphasized, "It's unfortunate that BTS, loved by fans worldwide, was made the target of such a joke."
BTS actually held the comeback show BTS comeback live: ARIRANG at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st and streamed it live worldwide via Netflix, making global fans excited simply by the full-group comeback. The success of K-pop, represented by BTS, is also expected to transcend limits.
However, such racist gags are expected to become meaningless in the face of BTS's records. Already, tickets for BTS's world tour, scheduled for 82 shows, have been selling out one after another through June, when tickets went on sale, showing a hot response. Foreign media are even expecting economic ripple effects dubbed "BTS-nomics." Attention is focused on the future course of the K-pop industry and BTS, which are likely to grow further despite overcoming racism like a callus. <
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