K-pop superstars BTS shared a statement of solidarity with the Black community on June 4. In a tweet shared with their 26.2 million followers, written in both Korean and English, they said, "We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter."
The positive message made news as it is a rare political statement from the group. While BTS has broken many records, trends, and barriers, they generally adhere to a clean-cut, non-controversial image (as is typical for many in their genre). For the band to take a stand on such an important human rights issue is significant and will certainly be heard loud and clear by their huge fanbase and fellow K-pop artists.
The group's tweet follows many loyal fans of BTS, BLACKPINK, and other major K-pop acts taking anti-racist action online, most recently, to flood toxic hashtags with memes and other content to drown out hateful messages.
