BTS Fans Demand Hybe Fire Scooter Braun Over Pro-Israel Views
Some of the K-pop band's fans have reacted with anger over comments made by the CEO of Hybe-America.
Fans of K-pop boy band BTS and HYBE-America CEO Scooter Braun. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images; Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Imagesnone
Fans of
BTS have pleaded with the K-pop band’s management company
Hybe to fire
Scooter Braun, the CEO of Hybe-America, for his pro-Israel views amid the war in Gaza.
The Korea Times reported Wednesday that some BTS fans, commonly known as the ARMY, reacted to a speech Braun
delivered in Israel in December that called for the return of the hostages taken during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.
On Feb. 23, according to local media reports, a group of BTS fans hired an electronic billboard truck and sent it to Hybe’s headquarters in central Seoul. “Korean and
International ARMY demand HYBE divests from Zionism and Zionists in the industry,” the message displayed on the truck said in both English and Korean alongside clips of devastation from the war in Gaza.
The message continued, “If our demands are not met, ARMY will continue to push for you to meet our demands. Do not look away when the same thing that happened to your Korean ancestors is happening to Palestinians. We ask that you stand for humanity, for the right side of history and against violence.”
On social media, BTS fans have pushed hashtags such as #HYBEDivestFromZionism to raise awareness of their campaign to oust Braun. Fans have also intimated that they will stop purchasing music and merchandise related to Hybe and its artists unless the label accedes to their demands.
BTS fans have long been known for their online activism, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok. The band’s supporters are vocal supporters of the Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements, and also played a small role in
disrupting Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, including falsely ordering tickets to Trump’s rallies, so that the attendances would be lower than expected or canceled outright.
The Korea Times reports that Hybe addressed Braun’s speech in a statement that said, “It is a personal statement that is separate from company management.” Although, the label has yet to address the demands made by BTS fans via the truck messages.
A music industry source who is familiar with the BTS fan base claims that while the protesters have drawn outsized attention on social media, they represent just a minute fraction of the overall BTS universe or “less than .05 percent.”
Responding to the fracas, a source close to Braun says the HYBE C.E.O. “will continue to be an unequivocal supporter of peace and coexistence for both sides of the conflict, regardless of any charged online responses.”
Hybe, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, acquired Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021, a deal that would later see the American music mogul become CEO of Hybe-America.
In that December speech in Tel Aviv, Braun said his grandmother was a survivor of Auschwitz and that he “had to come and stand with my people.” He added he had spoken with some of the survivors of the Supernova rave, where over 360 people were killed by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Feb. 29, 10:13 p.m.: A previous version of this story incorrectly said Scooter Braun’s December speech in Israel was in support of the war in Gaza; it was about the return of hostages.
March 1, 10:27 a.m.: This story has been updated with context from inside sources.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Hollywood Reporter article made me angry. The newspaper (also owned by jewish devils) prints out another mockery and not providing the full context. This did not happen all of a sudden. Everyone is affiliated and works with the same people. Jewish Supremacy. Bang and BTS worked with the same jewish conglomerates and enslavers for more than a decade. Look how early their collaboration started with jewish companies, the same funding the genocide in Gaza.
The Jewish-owned Hollywood Reporter just writes something ... not damaging. To switch the focus on Scooter.
Like Rupert Murdoch owning Fox. They play all sides and only care about the money. When they decided to get rid of Trump and to finance upcoming wars, Fox started to be as dumb as CNN, ABC, etc.
Fans blaming Bang is somehow better for the public's view. Bang hides behind BTS and fans think that BTS are innocent. BTS doesn't care about the evil they are causing.
You people just want to blame anyone, as long as you are being fed BTS content. Always someone else is to blame, never BTS, never BigHit.
HOW DO YOU THINK IT CAME TO THIS COLLABORATION, STUPID? Do you think some little jew is blackmailing the entire South Korea Entertainment and forcing them to put out material to feed your lazy fantasies?
How do you think it came so far in this shit?
YOU GAVE THEM THE MONEY !!
