BTS¡¯ Jungkook apologises for wearing 'Make Tokyo Great Again' hat, says he didn¡¯t know its political meaning: ¡®It has been disposed of'

BTS¡¯s Jungkook sparked excitement and later controversy during his first public appearance after completing military service. On June 13, as BTS celebrated its 12th debut anniversary, also known as FESTA, photos hinting that Jungkook would join J-Hope for the finale of his HOPE ON THE STREET world tour in Seoul began circulating online¡ªsome even included Jin, leaving many unsure of their authenticity. But once official images confirmed Jungkook¡¯s presence, a different detail quickly stole the spotlight and stirred debate.

During the rehearsals, Jungkook was seen wearing a hat with the slogan ¡°Make Tokyo Great Again,¡± which many associated with the politically charged ¡°Make America Great Again¡± phrase. After the image went viral, Jungkook issued a heartfelt apology, explaining that he was unaware of the hat¡¯s political implications. He also shared that the hat has since been discarded.

Why is Jungkook's hat controversial?

Reportedly originating from Donald Trump¡¯s ¡°Make America Great Again¡± 2017 campaign, "Make Tokyo Great Again" has been adopted by Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko as part of her alleged nationalist agenda. Her use of the phrase has drawn criticism due to her alleged anti-Korean stance, ties to the hate group Zaitokukai, and refusal to acknowledge historical atrocities like the Kanto Massacre. The slogan was part of her 2017 speech about Tokyo's infrastructure. However, some have argued that her speech was inspired by Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, and not Trump.

Given its sensitive political implications, Jungkook¡¯s choice to wear the hat sparked immediate backlash, especially among Korean netizens who saw the slogan as offensive and thoughtless. With its loaded history and nationalist undertones, the phrase has long been controversial in both Western and Asian contexts. It didn't help that the brand behind it, BASICKS, is now promoting his role in helping it sell.

Credit: Instagram

Jungkook issues an apology for wearing the controversial hat

Jungkook took to the fan platform Weverse to issue a heartfelt apology following the backlash. In his statement, the Seven singer expressed deep regret, saying, ¡°I sincerely apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience caused to many people.¡±

He acknowledged his mistake, admitting, ¡°I wasn¡¯t good enough; I was careless,¡± and emphasised that he did not fully confirm the phrase¡¯s political and historical meaning before wearing it.

He added, ¡°From now on, I will think more deeply and act one by one,¡± assuring fans and the public that the hat had been ¡°disposed of immediately.¡± Jungkook concluded his message with a simple but firm, ¡°Once again, I¡¯m sorry,¡± vowing to accept the criticism and learn from the experience.

Credit: Weverse

ARMYs rally behind Jungkook: 'You don't need to apologise'

The hat incident has now ignited fan wars across X and other social media platforms. Some rival fandoms criticise Jungkook and question how he could be unaware of the phrase¡¯s connotations, especially given his fluency in English and experience releasing a full-length English album. Many argue that such oversight feels careless for someone of his global stature.

However, BTS¡¯s loyal fandom, ARMY, has come out in full force to defend him, emphasising that the backlash is disproportionate and that honest mistakes shouldn¡¯t be weaponised. ¡°He doesn¡¯t owe anyone a fan war,¡± one user wrote, while another stressed that Jungkook¡¯s actions post-incident¡ªhis swift apology and disposal of the hat¡ªreflect maturity and accountability.

As of now, hashtags like #WeLoveYouJungkook and #YouDontNeedToApologize are trending on X, flooding the platform with love and reassurance that no matter the noise, they¡¯ll continue to stand by him.

fuck man. first sasaeng, now apologising for a fucking hat? he just barely out from military, who ever made jungkook freaking uncomfortable again, COME TO THE FRONT pic.twitter.com/reqyND3CKe

¡ª mona rico ??E ARE B??CK (@sataykuda) June 13, 2025

The moment Jungkook saw people assuming stuff that wasn¡¯t intended he apologized sincerely&reflected, discarded the hat, didn¡¯t wait for bighit to release a statement, thats the kind of person that he is, fk everyone who was twisting this situation to push their personal hatred.

¡ª ???¡â? (@thvminkoo) June 13, 2025

Sigh.. Yea the political turmoil surrounding that hat is triggering for a lot of people, especially right now. But to sit here and spread lies about him is so evil. That hat is satirical and mocks the original. I beg people to leave Jungkook alone.

¡ª t ? (@boraborafied) June 13, 2025

it's okay Jungkook :( he didn't know, and he apologized. Please let this go know, y'all are so obsessed.
"The hat was disposed of immediately" !!! pic.twitter.com/pavK5fC5uS

¡ª ?? lover? | bts year| ?JK WORLD TOUR (@jjkgoldenpillar) June 13, 2025

Meanwhile, Jungkook recently became the target of a disturbing sasaeng (obsessive fan) incident. According to Korean media outlets, a Chinese woman in her 30s attempted to trespass into his home on the very day he was discharged from the military. She was later arrested.

As for BTS, six out of seven members have now completed their military service. Suga, who has been serving as a public service worker, is set to be discharged on June 2, paving the way for the group¡¯s long-awaited full-member comeback.

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