BTS, Kim Hee-chul and a series of male K-pop idols were ridiculed about their gender

In the boom period, society is equal, but sometimes there are still negative and somewhat old-fashioned thoughts about Korean idols that are not very open, causing public opinion, especially their fans. angry.

Male artists in South Korea, including those in the K-pop industry, sometimes face disrespectful comments, particularly regarding makeup and clothing choices that arouse rumors about their sexual orientation. In the Western world, there has been a long history of mocking Asian stars with racist and discriminatory remarks.

In 2019, an Australian news presenter caused controversy when he made racist comments about the famous group BTS. The host's comments such as: "If Kim Jong-un liked male idols, perhaps there would no longer be a war problem in North Korea" and mocking the North Korea-South Korea situation, caused outrage. globally.

Furthermore, a male MC even boldly made discriminatory comments about male idols' sexual orientation. He mentioned asking on social media if there was any gay member among the seven men, asserting: "There must be a gay member among the seven men. It's just that Just math."

A similar incident happened in 2018 on a Mexican public broadcasting program, where the host commented on the appearance of the BTS members and said they looked weak and like they were working in prison. a gay club, leading to backlash and condemnation.

According to Allkpop, fans of the band BTS are expressing disappointment and frustration over the "BTS Biot" (gay) trend in the Philippines. This is a term that some Filipino students use as a way to insult gay people and this Korean music group.

Notably, Filipino netizens posted images of this term on media and social networks, attracting thousands of interactions. This term even reached the top global trend on Twitter. This made BTS fans extremely angry and expressed their disappointment.

"It's okay to hate BTS, but implying homosexuality is an insult", "#BTSBiot is an act of discrimination and homophobia against BTS"... are the angry comments of fan.

Despite the controversy, the hosts at the center of the row have issued apologies saying they were humorously exaggerating to highlight their popularity. However, these apologies only highlight the history of gender-based ridicule of K-pop stars and domestic entertainers in Western society.

This problem is not limited to singers; it also extends to television shows. In 2019, a German man on the TVN show 'Youn's Kitchen 2' made comments about Seo Joon and Seo Jin, hinting at the presence of Korean gay men. However, controversy was averted when the producer intentionally translated his words differently during the broadcast.

This type of ridicule arises due to different perceptions of masculinity in Western society. In the past, Western male stars rarely performed cute fan service or seductive dance moves, making it common to mock K-pop's deviation from traditional masculinity. Even in Korea, Kim Hee-chul confessed on a variety show that he was once mistaken for being a sexual minority due to his long hair and makeup.

The wise way some entertainers handle such situations is remarkable. Kim Hee-chul admitted the misunderstanding but did not deny it outright because he thought it might offend gender minority fans. Yoon Ji-sung, former member of Wanna One, shared his beliefs on diversity, saying there is no such thing as "gay-looking clothes" and expressing his rejection of traditional gender norms system.

Both internationally and domestically, the frequent emergence of gender-sensitive issues has highlighted a serious problem in modern society. At this moment in history, as Korea engages globally, it is important for many people to develop an interest in and understanding of diversity.

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