Weibo Suspends BTS, Blackpink, EXO Fan Accounts Because Of 'Irrational Star-Chasing Behavior'

KEY POINTS

A BTS Jimin fan club crowd-funded an expensive gift for the K-Pop star
Weibo suspended the fan account of the said club, along with 21 others
Chinese authorities are clamping down on exhorbitant fan spending in the country

Weibo has suspended more than 20 BTS, Blackpink, EXO and other K-Pop fan accounts amid a call from Chinese authorities to clamp down on runaway fan spending and fan club “chaos” in the country.

The move came days after photos of a customized Jeju Air jet funded by a Chinese Weibo fan account for BTS member Jimin circulated online. The plane was reportedly funded by Jimin’s fans as a gift for the K-Pop star’s 26^th birthday in October.

The crowd-funded birthday gift earned negative reactions and online complaints, prompting Weibo to suspend the fan account behind the expensive gift. Hours after announcing the suspension, the platform said it would also place a month-long suspension on 21 other K-Pop fan accounts, including four supporting BTS, three related to Blackpink, three to EXO and five others tied to boyband NCT.

In its statement following the suspension, Weibo explained it “firmly opposes such irrational star-chasing behavior and will deal with it seriously.” The platform also vowed to intensify its policing of fan culture and to “purify” the online atmosphere by getting rid of over-the-top fandom.

Chinese authorities have been making strides to penalize fan clubs engaged in excessive spending and “chaos.” Last week, the government issued new directives centering on the new mandate.

Meanwhile, the admin behind the suspended BTS Jimin fan account changed the name of the account “to signal a new starting point.” “We call on everyone to be civilized, follow stars rationally… and build a harmonious and healthy online environment,” the admin posted on its account.

According to local reports, the said fan club started raising money in April in anticipation of BTS Jimin’s birthday. The club was able to raise more than $155,000 from its members in the first three minutes of its campaign and $356,000 in the first hour.

The fan account has at least 1.1 million followers, far more than the 290,000 followers of BTS label HYBE’s official Weibo account.