BTS' Chinese Fans Upset Over Korean War Comments, Report Says

BTS has landed in trouble in China following comments one of its members made regarding the Korean War, a report said.

Chinese fans took offense to BTS leader RM’s statement about the U.S.-South Korea relationship and "the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifices of countless men and women" during the Korean War.

RM, whose real name is Kim Nam Joon, made these comments during a speech when BTS accepted the General James A. Van Fleet Award from the New York-based, nonprofit Korea Society. This award is given to "one or more distinguished Koreans or Americans in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the promotion of US-Korea relations," according to The Korea Society.

Chinese netizens slammed BTS for neglecting to mention their country’s loss in the clashes that pitted U.S. and South Korean forces against those from North Korea and China in the early 1950s.

"They [BTS] should not make any money from China," one user commented on Weibo, Reuters reported. "If you want to make money from Chinese fans you have to consider Chinese feelings."

China state-affiliated media Global Times said in a tweet that Chinese netizens were hurt by the "band's totally one-sided attitude to the #KoreanWar."

"We CHINESE lost 200,000 of our compatriots in that war. When you were 28 years old, you were making Chinese money. When Chairman Mao's son was 28 years old, he stayed in that war forever. If you don't know about the history, please SHUT UP," wrote another angry netizen.

But there were many who supported BTS as well.

"C-netizens need to get off their high horse here," one netizen pointed out on Twitter. "They were not mentioned because it was about US SK relations and they were also the invading force here. The biys (sic) have NOTHING to apologise for. C-netizens need to have a seat."

Several others echoed similar sentiments.

It remains to be seen how BTS’ controversy will affect their brand in the Chinese market, but Financial Times reported that Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors and sportswear label FILA have deleted pictures of the boy band in their online advertising campaigns in China.

This comes at a time when Big Hit Entertainment, the agency that manages BTS, is set to go public in Seoul in an initial public offering that values the company at $4.1 billion.

Big Hit Entertainment has not responded to the controversy.