Diversity in modeling has long been an issue, and seeing different ideas of beauty is a welcomed sight. “There are still many Korean War veterans around the world, including those from the United States, so it’s not reasonable for China to pick a fight over this,” said Min-seong Lee, a student in Seoul.Asian Models Changing Fashion–Since the late oughts, fashion has put the spotlight on East Asian models as countries like China begin to lead the global market place.
Hong Kong’s most prominent dissident, Joshua Wong, weighed in, criticizing Beijing for “provoking groundless rage and division.” The row comes ahead of Thursday’s stock market debut of BTS’s management company, Big Hit Entertainment. “BTS fans are from all over the world, so China’s bullying will be known to all countries that took part in the Korean War,” said Johnny Kim, a South Korean engineer.
The same year, Taiwan-born Korean pop singer Chou Tzu-yu apologized for shaking a Taiwanese flag on South Korean TV after criticism by China.īTS has yet to respond, but South Korean fans reacted angrily. In 2016, Hong Kong singer Denise Ho said cosmetics giant Lancome canceled a concert to distance itself from her pro-democracy activism. Global brands have tried to distance themselves from politically touchy issues, especially Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, and Hong Kong, the scene of pro-democracy protests.
In 2017, Beijing destroyed South Korean retailer Lotte’s business in China after the company sold land to South Korea’s government to install an anti-missile system opposed by Chinese leaders.īTS-related products were missing this week from the online stores of Samsung Electronics and sports brand FILA on Chinese e-commerce websites including Alibaba Group’s TMall and JD.com. Last year, Chinese state TV suspended broadcasts of National Basketball Association games after the general manager of the Houston Rockets expressed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. The ruling party uses the entirely state-controlled media to whip up anger against foreign companies, celebrities or governments that take steps Beijing dislikes. The attacks reflect Beijing’s assertiveness abroad and enduring Chinese sensitivity about the Korean Peninsula.Īsked about the controversy, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said, “What I want to say is that it should be our common pursuit to take history as a mirror, face the future, cherish peace and promote friendship.” netizens, but the country played the role of aggressor in the war,” said an article in the Global Times newspaper, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. “Many Chinese netizens pointed out that the speech plays up to U.S. “Insulting China is absolutely not allowed.”Ī hashtag “BTS Insults China” had been viewed more than 4.5 million times, according to Sina Weibo. Now, they seem to be covered in excrement,” said a commenter on the microblog service Sina Weibo. “Before, I thought some BTS songs were pretty good. – With concert halls shut, NY Philharmonic takes to sidewalk.– Disney reorg to further bolster company's focus on streaming.– Review: NCT borrow the romance of the past for new album.