In order to revive the national spirit of South Korea that has been ravaged by the "Jamboree incident," BTS is being firmly opposed to the anti-democratic act of pushing them as a puppet. Today, the fan community for BTS, called the BTS Gallery, released this statement in response to the inappropriate remarks made by Sung Il-jong, a member of the opposition party. While we sympathize with the need for BTS to exert cultural influence, especially for the sake of the Jamboree members who visited Korea to witness its dynamism and creativity, we firmly state that unlike Kim Seok-jin (Jin) and Jung Ho-seok (J-Hope), who are enlisted soldiers under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense, the other members, as civilians, have no right to be under its control. Therefore, the complete BTS ensemble should thoroughly reflect the individual members' intentions, and Congressman Seong Il-jong's attempt to pressure the Ministry of National Defense using his status as a member of the National Assembly runs counter to the spirit and purpose of the Jamboree members incident.
Moreover, safety on stage should be the top priority for all BTS members, and they would undoubtedly suffer considerable psychological burdens as they are forced to prepare for the best possible performance under sudden and urgent circumstances that were not discussed in advance. As the Jamboree Organizing Committee did not even hold a thorough review of this matter, and there is a lack of time available to conduct a rigorous stage inspection in preparation for any potential contingency, we express our serious concerns and cannot help but express our disgust.
Therefore, fans stress that if BTS is forced to participate in K-Pop concerts by government pressure, it would constitute not only a regression of democracy but also an abuse of power. This statement was released on August 8, 2023, by the BTS Gallery.
