Why It’s Not Just a Shirt: BTS’s Cancelled Japan Appearances

Several days ago, the news broke that BTS’s appearance on a Japanese music show had been canceled, just hours before the group was set to fly from Korea to Japan. Security and media had already gathered at Korea’s Gimpo airport, preparing for BTS’s departure, but the decision to cancel the TV appearance came before the group could depart.

The reason? According to Music Station, the TV show BTS was set to appear on, one of the members had previously worn a shirt with a photo of the atomic bomb after it detonated over Nagasaki in 1945.

In a statement regarding the cancellation, Music Station noted that they spoke with BTS’s agency about “the member’s intention in wearing the T-shirt” and in the end “decided to call off their performance.” Bighit later posted an official statement on their Japanese site apologizing for the cancellation of the performance, but not mentioning the use of the T-shirt or any surrounding issues.

The T-shirt in question was worn by Jimin during filming for one of BTS’s reality shows back in 2017. The image of Jimin wearing the shirt appears to have been dug up either by reporters or internet users with potential connections to right-wing movements in Japan. Though the shirt is old news, it’s only now causing an uproar, which would be the first clue that this cancellation really had nothing to do with this T-shirt.

Regardless of your opinion on the T-shirt, it’s impossible to ignore the timing of this incident. Reports of this T-shirt began circulating just days after the South Korean Supreme Court passed a ruling that would require a Japanese company to pay restitution to four Korean victims of Japanese forced labor during World War II. The case was finally resolved after 13 years, 5 of which were deliberation at the high court. There are multiple pending lawsuits of a similar nature, and it’s possible that this ruling will affect future cases.

Japan was, predictably, not happy with the Supreme Court ruling, and is likely wary of similar decisions in upcoming cases. As such, the political climate between South Korea and Japan has once again become tense and volatile. Shinzo Abe, current prime minister of Japan, is known for his right-wing tendencies, which puts pressures on other facets of the Japanese government, media, and society. Recently, there were some planned demonstrations by right-wing groups who are anti-Korean, and there were even rumored protests planned for BTS’s upcoming Japanese tour.

It is clear that Japan is not outraged or offended by a T-shirt, but rather trying to weaponize K-Pop. While it’s true some individuals, and probably the right-wing government, may take offense to the use of the atomic bomb photo on a T-shirt, that’s not really their reason for wanting to cancel BTS’s TV appearances. It’s a show of power and an attempt to reject anything Korean, despite Japan being the aggressor in WWII, not the victim. Arguments have popped up in many online communities, some calling the shirt insensitive and demanding an apology, others supporting Jimin’s right to wear what he pleases. Though the TV show’s statement outright mentions the shirt as the cause for cancellation, it hard to imagine that there wasn’t pressure on the station to distance themselves from BTS, simply because they’re Korean. The shirt, and by extension BTS, are scapegoats for much larger issues.

It seems a lot of the outrage is actually coming from those either outside of the fandom or international fans who are (unintentionally) ignorant of the larger issues at play here. The cancellation of BTS’s TV appearance did hit international news outlets, which has unfortunately spread the issue much further than it needed to go. Some of the reporting is inaccurate, missing the larger political landscape and undercurrents of decades-long political tensions. The main issue people seem to have, if they take issue at all, is that the shirt is insensitive because it’s celebrating the atomic bombs, which killed approximately 129,000-226,000 people. Unfortunately, many are misinterpreting this situation entirely.

Yes, it’s true the atomic bombs killed many, many people, and most of them were actually civilians. While the bombings were horrific and never should have been perpetrated in the first place, it’s important to remember the context of the situation, at least from a Korean standpoint. While I cannot speak for Koreans, my research has brought to light some general points that seem to consistently pop up across the board.

First, it’s important to remember that Korea was a colony of Japan during WWII. Japan invaded and annexed Korea in 1910. The Japanese treated Koreans brutally during this time period: not only were Koreans made to give up much of their own culture, they were sent to Japan to work in forced labor camps, routinely abused, and many women were forced into prostitution as “comfort women” for Japanese soldiers. This only grazes the surface of the horrors that Koreans (and many other Asians) suffered at the hands of the Japanese in WWII.

Second, keep in mind that Japanese soldiers and civilians were not the only casualties of the atomic bombings. An estimated 40,000-50,000 of the atomic bomb victims were Koreans, many who had been taken to Japan by force to work in labor camps or who had fled Korea after the Japanese takeover.

The atomic bombings symbolize the end of WWII and the start of Korean liberation for many Koreans. They understand that many people died in the bombings, including some of their own, but they also understand that the situation at the time seemed desperate and hopeless. The bombs led to Japan’s unconditional surrender, which is how Korea gained independence from their oppressors. Koreans celebrate that liberation on August 15th of each year, and it’s difficult to separate the two historical events from one another.

The shirt, pictured above, does have a small photo of the real mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb. In a comment, the designer of the shirt said he didn’t intend to mock Japan but rather to “express the historic truth and timing that after the atomic bomb was detonated, Japan’s unconditional surrender led to independence.” It’s entirely possible for something so horrific to serve as a symbol to a nation of oppressed peoples, and that symbol used in historical context can clearly be interpreted as a symbol of remembrance, rather than a symbol of glorification.

I can say with near certainty that Jimin did not wear this shirt because he is “anti-Japanese.” That statement is laughable to me, but it’s what the news outlets will run with. We don’t know all of his intentions for wearing the shirt, but an anti-Japanese mindset isn’t one of them. It’s likely that he views the symbol as many Koreans do. Placing a historical image on a T-shirt that celebrates Korean liberation does not have to mean that anyone is glorifying the deaths of innocent people (which, again, thousands of those deaths were Koreans). The image serves as a solemn reminder of history, and the price that was paid for Korean liberation.

In the fallout of this issue, the shirt sold out on the brand’s Korean website. Though BTS’s Japanese TV appearances have been stalled, there are currently no plans to disrupt their Japanese tour. Hopefully, the tour will be a positive, healing experience for BTS and fans alike.

(For further historical readings, please see this and this. This story and this story discuss Korean atomic bomb survivors.)

Since authoring this article, I also participated in the White Paper Project with a collective of other ARMYs. Please visit that page for a much more in-depth analysis and discussion of this event.

This post was originally published on 11/12/2018 on my previous blog.