K-Pop star’s mushroom cloud t-shirt bombs in Japan
A t-shirt depicting the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima has caused an explosion of controversy in Japan and prompted a TV station to cancel a performance by k-pop giants BTS.
The group was set to perform on TV Asahi on Friday, but the network pulled the plug after images of member Jimin wearing the controversial t-shirt sparked outrage online, the Japan Times reports.
The t-shirt had an image of an atomic bomb explosion with the words, “patriotism our history liberation Korea” written repeatedly on it.
@BTS_twt This is an atomic bomb t shirt dropped in Japan. It is a group that also works in Japan, so please have a little more consciousness. I am sorry just because I like Jimin and I am supporting bts. pic.twitter.com/xRm4tADLBs
— . (@iGkmPqdcpB10C6L) October 30, 2018
The t-shirt appeared to reference the end of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended in 1945 after the US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Jimin is reported to have worn the t-shirt on the anniversary of the end of the occupation in August, but the images went viral this week.
“The T-shirt that one of the members wore made headlines and became controversial,” TV Asahi explained in a statement announcing the cancelled performance. The network said it talked to the record label about the shirt and then decided to cancel the appearance.
stay strong BTS & J army💜💜#BTS#jarmy#JArmy_loves_bts
— 모모카 (@m_bts_93) November 8, 2018
Music has nothing to do with politics.Please don’t mixup with music and politics!! We just love BTS 💜💜💜 #BTSの日本活動を永遠に応援します@BTS_twt#BTS#japanarmy#jarmy
— groovymax29 (@groovymax29) November 8, 2018
Unsurprisingly, BTS fans are pretty unhappy with the news. While some said they understood how it could be seen as controversial, others defended the shirt as being more about Korea’s liberation than the bombing of Japan.
They will judge bts with this one outfit mistake ignoring every other positive thing they've done for the music industry and so many people out there, doing charity works and stuff and I'm mad MAD, I'm done with their jealous asses honestly.#MAMAVOTE@BTS_twt#BTS
— Ayeshaa (@presidentKNJRM) November 9, 2018
That was very very stupid from him. They should be more conscious about these things. I’m super disappointed.
— belootamx (@oostadatra) November 9, 2018
The Japanese broadcasting station unilaterally canceled the bts cast one day before and blamed BTS esp jimin But, it's a liberation shirt.And Japan is a perpetrator, not a victimThe T-shirt is a T-shirt to commemorate the day when the victim, Korea, was liberated. pic.twitter.com/PoyRrQX8E2
— lovemaze (@lovemaze0613) November 8, 2018
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