Hold Up, BTS Shuffles Plans After T-Shirt Tornado
It turns out that walking into a small-town town hall riot in a t‑shirt can trigger more drama than a storm‑trooper showdown. A small typo on a lyric could end a whole year‑long world tour. The Japanese broadcast station TV Asahi pulled the plug on a Friday evening spot for the Korean pop juggernaut BTS, after one of the members showcased a shirt that read “Patriotism, Our History, Liberation Korea” alongside a mushroom‑cloud graphic.
Why the Whole Country Is Upset
The shirt, a no‑no in 1945‑plus memory lanes, turned a social media clip into a global debate, because it inadvertently reminded everyone of who suffered the first-ever atomic blast. The apple of Hiroshima’s eye still looks sharp when people slip a mushroom‑cloud meme into an outfit.
How the Show Was Canceled
- The TV channel wrote on its page: “We have seen news that a t‑shirt worn by one of the members has set off a furore… we decided to postpone their appearance on our Nov 9 show.”
- BTS’s official fan site echoed the message, adding an apology to fans “who were looking forward to the broadcast.”
- In the meantime, there was no word that their entire Japan leg is scrapped. The tour kicks off on Nov 13 with the usual fan‑frenzy hype.
Crackling with History
BTS has burned its name worldwide since 2013, splashing the Billboard 200 top spot for the first time on the song “Love Yourself: Tear.” Though they’ve taken the world by storm (New York, London, every‑thing‑else), a shoddy t‑shirt turned into a diplomatic tremor. The Japanese‑S. Korean ties were already frayed, owing to an old‑world war memory that trips small‑waves sooner than expected.
The Big Picture
The fan community is watching, feeling a mix of confusion and dismay. The group has doubled‑down on the idea that pop will keep united the world, but one harmless tee‑shirt has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. A reminder that the past still speaks loud-by‑the‑clash of headline.
