The global sensation and one of the biggest boy bands in the world, BTS, have faced numerous challenges on their journey to the top as they continue to rule the music industry. From racism and xenophobia to even being used by the GRAMMYs for views, ARMY—their fandom—has witnessed it all. However, what hurts fans the most is that BTS' own country, South Korea, and its government have allegedly used the group to their advantage.
On October 15, 2022, BTS held a free concert in Busan to promote the city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. BTS was named Honorary Ambassadors for the 2030 Busan Expo and took part in promotional activities supporting the bid. The concert, originally planned for the Busan Ilgwang Special Stage, was moved to the Asiad Main Stadium due to concerns. Around 50,000 people attended the concert in person, with an additional 10,000 watching a live retransmission at Busan Port.
While fans were aware the concert was free and knew about the surrounding challenges, they were shocked to learn that the Busan government allegedly shirked responsibility, leaving HYBE, BigHit, and BTS to bear the full burden. In the past 24 hours, ARMY has been sharing a South Korean news report stating that the seven members were supposed to receive 7 billion KRW (approximately $4.75M USD) for their participation in the Busan World Expo bid.?
The South Korean government has been accused of exploiting BTS—not only making them perform for free but also forcing them to bear all the organizational costs for their Busan concert. Initially, the government proposed a venue with poor safety measures for mass events, posing significant risks to fans. This left BTS and their agency responsible for securing a safer alternative, ultimately the Busan Asiad Stadium.
According to ARMY, this wasn't the only instance of the government attempted to exploit the group. In 2023, during another promotional event, the Jamboree concert, organizational issues again surfaced and the government tried to get BTS out of the military to save face.
Reports revealed that the Ministry of Defense urged the government to "take all measures" to compel BTS to perform, including leveraging their authority over enlisted members. Thankfully, BigHit successfully rejected the proposal, sparking broader discussions about the potential exploitation if all seven members.
In addition to all this, the government also proposed controversial laws allowing BTS members to serve their military duties in staggered periods, enabling performances in between for the national economy. However, these propositions drew criticism. Current laws would prohibit enlisted soldiers from earning money through external jobs, meaning BTS would perform without compensation. Critics saw this as another attempt to exploit the group without offering the exemption they arguably deserved.
Apart from Jin and J-Hope, who have completed their mandatory military service, the rest of the members—Suga, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—are still enlisted and are expected to complete their service by June 2025. ARMY is excited for an OT7 reunion and hopes the boys come out mentally stronger, allowing them to avoid such issues in the future and focus solely on themselves.?
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