BTS’s Jungkook is currently in New York for the Global Citizen Festival. He will be co-headlining the event on September 23 at the Great Lawn of Central Park.
While his performance is highly anticipated by ARMYs, his arrival at the New York airport has caused a big stir among them. He arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on September 21, and as usual, a hoard of media and fans were waiting to capture a glimpse.
JUNGKOOK AT THE AIRPORT TODAY! he looks so sleepy pls
pic.twitter.com/btGZT8NWSX
— juls (@jikookheart) September 21, 2023
Though fans coming to the airport to greet idols has become very normalized in K-Pop, given how fast the crowd can turn dangerous, it has increasingly become a concern among fandoms. ARMYs have rallied behind the opinion for years that since these travel details are not shared with the public by the agency as an official schedule, it is not a fan’s place to turn up at the airport to greet a BTS member. They can get mobbed very easily, which poses a risk to everyone’s safety.
Idk about you, but I’d rather not have airport pics than let @BTS_twt get mobbed in the future
pic.twitter.com/GT0lc7aJw0
— jak
⁷ (@softbangtanboys) July 6, 2018
OH MY GOD BTS GETTING MOBBED AT THE AIRPORT. THIS IS SO MESSED UP. SOME FANS NEED TO HAVE SOME RESPECT. pic.twitter.com/y6JwV7zwqJ
— 𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙊(ꪜ)𝙀𝙍⁷ ★ (@taestokki) April 25, 2018
But this time, it was not just the crowd that ARMYs were concerned about. After Jungkook’s arrival in New York, a particular video started making its rounds on social media, where a group of people following him very closely started calling him “bro” and laughing at his reaction.
Just call him ‘BRO’ and he’ll turn to you
#jungkook #JungKook_Seven #JungKookOnGlobalCitizen pic.twitter.com/82805IXfWu
— innv ✦˚. (@innthv) September 21, 2023
For context, during a Weverse livestream, while Jungkook was having a heart-to-heart conversation with ARMYs, he said he wished they would greet him like an old friend if they ever ran into him on the streets. While the comment touched fans’ hearts, they also couldn’t help but joke about how the scenario is nearly impossible given that Jungkook has to move around with security, who wouldn’t let any fan get that close to begin with.
“heEEeEyy what’s uuup! what’s up bro” pic.twitter.com/aZUtyUXTDI
— jungkook loops ⁷ (@jeonjkloops) July 21, 2023
The crowd at the airport greeted Jungkook in the way he had mentioned during the livestream, but many ARMYs criticized the video, saying that Jungkook wasn’t talking about such a scenario. They pointed out the other times the singer has asked fans not to show up at unofficial schedules and explicitly expressed his wish for privacy. Though he seemed to have maintained his cool while exiting the airport, many felt that getting mobbed at the airport after a long-haul flight was not the experience his fans should want him to have.
for everyone who thinks jungkook told us to “hi bro” him at the airport, i hope this helps pic.twitter.com/dxkFYYOnLb
— Mina⁷
ʟᴀʏᴏ(ꪜ)ᴇʀ (@serotaenin7) September 22, 2023
the way that the jungkook bro video isn’t funny at all like he just got off a 14 hour flight and a bunch of freaks decided to crowd him at the airport thinking it was funny to address him like a friend when they were clearly over stepping his boundaries and personal space
— ꒰ა
︎໒꒱ (@sugarbabykoo) September 22, 2023
Jungkook: If we ever happen to run into each other by coincidence, act natural and call me bro!
You people: LOL OK I’LL STALK HIS FLIGHT, INVADE HIS PERSONAL SPACE, SHOVE MY PHONE IN HIS FACE AND CALL HIM BRO. HE’LL LOVE THAT. https://t.co/dIZovDjdSY
— abbie⁷ ᵇʸ ʲᵏ 🤍 (ꪜ) (@versacekkyu) September 21, 2023
there’s going “hey bro” to jungkook if you see him out and about like he said. and then there’s going to the airport and following him around.
— hj⁷ (@onyxkoo) September 22, 2023
pretty sure this is not what jungkook meant by if you see him call him bro
— keke⁷ (@hobismeg) September 21, 2023
Did the crowd at the airport cross the line? What do you think?
