Hong Kong protesters believe that BTS is showing support for the Umbrella Movement because of their latest video.
According to a report by All Kpop, Hong Kong protesters welcomed the Kpop group's subtle show of support for the movement as BTS' 2021 Seasons Greetings' video showcased Jungkook holding a yellow umbrella. Behind the scenes shots also showed multiple yellow umbrellas in the background.
It can be recalled that the yellow umbrella is the symbol adopted by the Umbrella Movement formed by Hong Kong protesters to go against the Extradition Law Amendment Bill ordered by the Chinese government.
This was not the first time that BTS was thought to be supporting the Hong Kong protesters because last the week, a report from the South China Morning Post highlighted the publicity materials released by Big Hit Entertainment for their Hit It 8 Hip Hop competition.
In the poster, a lone person wearing a yellow hoodie stood in the middle of a sea of people wearing blue.
The visual was linked to the Hong Kong protests because of its possible representation of the blue and yellow camps in the pro-democracy rallies staged last year. The blue camp was closely identified with the pro-mainland supporters, while the yellow camp belonging to the movement strongly fought for the full democracy of Hong Kong.
While Big Hit Entertainment refrained from confirming whether the design and style choices made in their promotional material was politically charged, netizens are left to make conclusions for themselves.
Many fans believe that the multiple incidents were deliberate on the part of BTS. Whether or not the yellow umbrellas had any additional meaning or not, many fans greeted BTS' actions with positivity, saying that if it was a misunderstanding, it had a beautiful meaning.
It can be recalled that BTS also received massive criticism in China after they received the Van Fleet Award.
In his speech, RM made a reference to the shared sacrifice of American and Korean troops during the Korean War, which resulted in the death of many soldiers.
Chinese fans took issue with RM's statement and said that it was a one-sided view of history that negated the experiences of Chinese soldiers who lost their lives in the war when their country allied with North Korea, Taiwan News reported.
As a result, Chinese fans called for a boycott of BTS products and merchandise. Some major brands also pulled out BTS related endorsements from their websites.
