Many BTS fansites are announcing their shutdown when their efforts are viewed negatively.
In the midst of all the recent concert jubilation, Permission To Dance On Stage, by BTS in Los Angeles…
In the midst of all the recent concert jubilation, Permission To Dance On Stage, by BTS in Los Angeles…
…the label, the venue, the fans, and the fansites are in fierce conflict over security and legal issues. On the opening night of the concert, an ARMY named Ashlee revealed a horrifying experience with someone taking pictures for a fansite. In a series of posts on Twitter and Instagram, Ashlee said the fansite “grossly ambushed” and “assaulted” her.
Ashlee warns other ARMYs to be careful with this fansite. Many other K-pop fans have commented in agreement that the fansite has a history of violating portraits as well as posing a safety risk to many other fans.
Video Ashlee posted
At the second concert, another ARMY spoke out about being hit twice in the head and she responded by “smashing the camera with a light stick”. This ARMY criticized the fansites for “don’t care about ARMY nor the boys” but “only care about their stupid photos and cameras”.
On December 1, BigHit Entertainment made an official announcement about BTS’s image rights on Weverse.
“During the series of Permission To Dance On Stage performances, there were acts of violating the rights and copyrights of the artists’ portraits. All actions that infringe on the portrait rights of BigHit and other artists and copyrights are prohibited, such as taking photos and videos, recording and livestreaming, etc.
In addition to phones, filming or recording devices Sound is absolutely not brought into the performance point. In the event of a violation of these rules, including filming on a mobile phone, you will be asked to remove the video and leave the venue.”
BigHit’s announcement caused many reactions in the fan community when it was not possible to record the idol. However, they somewhat softened after the accusations about the fansite.
Meanwhile, many fansites in Korea expressed concern that they were “blatantly hated and discriminated against” at these concerts. Fansite @SeptemberJK97 urges everyone to stop spreading unfounded rumors, pushing fansites into an extremely negative state.
Accordingly: “Some local fans at Permission To Dance Los Angeles huddled around to talk whenever someone resembling a Korean/Chinese/Japanese passed by in the stands. Some even engage in physical assault. Some of us have been bullied in the group, threatened to take photos or videos of our identities on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. Doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but is what happens to us reasonable? What did the fansites do to be treated like this?”.
On December 5, after BTS’ US concert ended, many BTS fansites announced their shutdown. Another fansite, @Blacknwhite_km, said it was “brutal to be viewed in such a negative way” as they also “go to concerts to support” the artists. This person arrived in the US with all his enthusiasm after two years of not being able to see a concert but in return “destroy both physically and mentally”.
“As a fansite, all I want is to capture moments and share them with my ARMY friends. But netizens are treating us as extremely negative people. Some of us were even attacked. I was exhausted. I need time for myself. From now on, I won’t post anything else.”
Many other big-name fansites like @jiminiful (with more than 307,000 followers) and @V_Pintor (more than 123,000 followers) also announced a hiatus to deal with things happening overseas. Fansite @encounter1995_ affirms that fansites are not “sasaengs” so they ask ARMY to “stop attacking and cyber-terrorizing” them.
Meanwhile, many ARMYs are defending themselves against the fansite accusations. They claimed the fansites “felt targeted” from the “active fights”.
Fans also said that the “cultural difference” between the US and Korea caused these controversies. One ARMY pointed out that the culture of supporting idols is normal in Korea, not “in America, where anyone can carry a gun instead of a camera and cause tragedy”.
Most international fans still consider fansites to be a “security risk” not only for ARMY but also for artists. Controversy still has no end but surely, nothing better than if all BTS fans are on the same page!
