![]() ![]() In recent days, copycat campaigns have appeared, including one that involved Twitter users transforming a # JapaneseLivesMatter hashtag into a photographic tribute to Japanese cuisine. ![]() K-pop fans and other online activists who coalesce around single issues could become a significant new force, according to Song. “BLM was understandable as it was about human rights, but it makes me uncomfortable to see my idols pop up in Trump-related news,” one wrote on Weverse, BTS’s official fan community app. The campaign to support Black Lives Matter was widely welcomed, particularly after BTS’s donation, but some South Korean fans said they were uncomfortable about taking on the role of Trump’s online nemesis. Some fan sites have banned discussions on the subject. There appears to be less enthusiasm, however, for global activism among fans in the country of K-pop’s birth, where admiration for the artists’ altruism comes with a reluctance to interfere in politics. “Several K-pop stars have significantly influenced the thinking and behaviour of young music fans by conveying meaningful messages in lyrics about issues such as social injustice, the social divide and corruption,” said Jin Dal-yong, a professor at the school of communication at Simon Fraser University in Canada.ĭonald Trump holds rally in Tulsa amid coronavirus fears – watch live After BTS donated $1m to Black Lives Matter, a fan collective charity known as One in An ARMY after the name adopted by the group’s followers matched the sum.īTS and other groups have also donated to other social and humanitarian causes, including Syrian refugees and campaigns to end violence against children. K-pop fans’ optimism mirrors a social awareness among the artists themselves. “BTS fans have always been serious about politics and socioeconomic issues, ranging from youth unemployment, mental health, social and economic inequality and sexual minorities,” Song said. “Stars donate to educational and social justice causes, and fans follow that lead to volunteer or donate for issues like education for low-income families, care for the elderly or environmental protection.”īrad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, blamed the Tulsa debacle on interference from “radical protesters”, a description that might not be far from the truth, according to Jay Song, a senior lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Melbourne. “K-pop is not particularly political, but it is socially engaged.įans wait for BTS to take the stage in Central Park, New York, in May last year. “American fans of K-pop, and there are many of them, are outward-looking, open-minded, culturally curious and supportive of LGBTQ rights,” she said. The hijacking of a divisive Twitter hashtag and the humiliation of a US president were demonstrations of a social activism that runs throughout the K-pop community, particularly in the US, according to CedarBough Saeji, a visiting assistant professor in Asian languages and cultures at Indiana University. “I heard it first from just BTS fans and then once I saw that it got to TikTok, I was like, oh yeah, this is going to blow up,” said “Raq”, a 22-year-old student and Democratic voter in Minnesota. One K-pop fan said she had used false contact details to register for two spots. It is unclear how big an impact the campaign had on the low turnout, but many online users believe it was a factor. Donald Trump departs Air Force One after holding a campaign rally in Tulsa. ![]()
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