JBC News
  • Login
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Reel
  • World

    Russia Navalny protests: Kremlin hits out at West as it downplays rallies

    Tse Chi Lop: Alleged Asian drug lord arrested in Amsterdam

    Trump impeachment: Senate trial delayed until next month

    Google threatens to withdraw search engine from Australia

    Biden sets to work on reversing Trump policies with executive orders

    Coronavirus: Why South Africa has yet to roll out vaccines

    Kyrgios criticises Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine row

    US in Somalia: 'We still need the Americans for security'

    Biden inauguration: All 50 US states on alert for armed protests

  • Worklife
  • Travel
  • More
    • Future
    • Culture
    • Music
-4 °c
London
6 ° Wed
10 ° Thu
10 ° Fri
10 ° Sat
No Result
View All Result

Welcome to JBC.com

Monday, January 25, 2021
JBC News
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Reel
  • World

    Russia Navalny protests: Kremlin hits out at West as it downplays rallies

    Tse Chi Lop: Alleged Asian drug lord arrested in Amsterdam

    Trump impeachment: Senate trial delayed until next month

    Google threatens to withdraw search engine from Australia

    Biden sets to work on reversing Trump policies with executive orders

    Coronavirus: Why South Africa has yet to roll out vaccines

    Kyrgios criticises Djokovic over Australian Open quarantine row

    US in Somalia: 'We still need the Americans for security'

    Biden inauguration: All 50 US states on alert for armed protests

  • Worklife
  • Travel
  • More
    • Future
    • Culture
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
JBC News
No Result
View All Result
Home World

K-pop fans emerge as a powerful force in US protests

June 11, 2020
in World
6 min read
316 7
0
351
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Image copyright
Getty Images

Image caption

K-pop artists’ and fans’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement has attracted attention

Amid ongoing protests in America against racism and police brutality, a global legion of K-pop fans has emerged as an important ally for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Fans of South Korea’s popular music industry have raised funds for BLM and mobilised to overload social media hashtags used by its opponents, earning appreciation from protesters for their political activism.

Some may have been surprised by their impact, but K-pop observers note fans have long organised support for social and political causes as well as their favourite artists.

This support has, however, also raised questions about systemic racism in the industry and fandom, leading to calls for K-pop to address its own complicated relationship with race.

Fancams to the rescue

Following the outbreak of protests in the US, sparked by the death of black man George Floyd, the Dallas Police Department asked people to share videos of “illegal activity protests” through the iWatch Dallas app.

K-pop fans worldwide responded by inundating it with fan-recorded videos, known as fancams, and memes of various K-pop artists, in an effort to prevent police from tracking protesters’ actions.

Barely a day later, the app was reported to be experiencing technical difficulties though Dallas Police would not say if it was due to the fancams.

K-pop fans also spammed hashtags used to oppose BLM on social media, such as #AllLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter and #WhiteLivesMatter.

Related posts

Russia Navalny protests: Kremlin hits out at West as it downplays rallies

January 25, 2021

Tse Chi Lop: Alleged Asian drug lord arrested in Amsterdam

January 24, 2021

Though this made such hashtags trend higher, it also made it harder for their original messages to be seen.

K-pop fans, who have previously been derided online and criticised for “fancam spam”, were celebrated as valued allies of the protestors.

See also:

Many K-pop artists voiced their support for the movement on Twitter and Instagram, and some donated to the cause.

When popular boy band BTS announced a $1m (£784,000) donation, fan group One In An Army (OIAA) organised its own fundraising drive and matched the amount in less than 24 hours.

History of political activism

To many outside K-pop fandom, this political activism and co-ordination was a surprise.

However, those who follow K-pop closely consider such fans’ organisation and impact perfectly natural.

Fans in South Korea and worldwide routinely run well-co-ordinated campaigns to promote their favourite artists and propel them to awards and charts success and greater visibility. These skills are now being applied to the BLM cause.

As Hyunsu Yim, a pop culture reporter for The Korea Herald, has noted in a Twitter thread, this is far from the first time K-pop fans have made a political or social impression.

He illustrated his point with previous examples of activism: donations to a London charity to fund over 35,000 meals; calls for safer roads in Bangladesh; and Chile’s government in 2019 blaming K-pop and other “international influences and media” for domestic protests.

Skip Twitter post by @eleanorbate

i just think ~some people~ wouldn’t be so surprised by k-pop stans’ organisation and activism if they had actually recognised (predominantly) young women’s dedication to their interests as legitimate in the first place instead of accusing them of being bots or cheaters 🙂

— ellie⁷ ☁️ (@eleanorbate) June 3, 2020

End of Twitter post by @eleanorbate

K-pop and racism

But while many have praised K-pop fans for their involvement in the protests, some are highlighting the longstanding abuse and harassment of black fans, many of whom have left fandoms as a result.

Skip Twitter post by @TamarWrites

I really do love the fancam activism, but it’s frustrating to see the widespread praise without a single mention of the pervasiveness of racism & doxxing towards black fans in kpop spaces happening this week (& always) by outlets. Editors need to assign stories not trends.

— Tamar Herman (@TamarWrites) June 3, 2020

End of Twitter post by @TamarWrites

Hashtags like #BlackARMYSMatter and #BlackARMYSEquality trended on Twitter in 2018 after black members of the BTS ARMY complained of racism within the fandom. Fans of other artists have also complained of racism in their communities.

Skip Twitter post by @AcaOtaku

9) The story shouldn’t be “#Kpop fans currently care about social issues and are activists!” — it should be “Mostly white Kpop fans get to be the face of issues when they want to, and often ignore/harass/exclude fans of color from the conversation along with media coverage.”

— Miranda Larsen (@AcaOtaku) June 6, 2020

End of Twitter post by @AcaOtaku

Observers also question why K-pop idols – many of whom have expressed support for the US protests – are often silent when it comes to discrimination in South Korea.

This may partly be to avoid a backlash from their more conservative fans.

Many female idols have been criticised for expressing feminist views, and many who speak up for LGBTQ rights abroad shy away from such issues at home.

Agencies may also exercise control over what the performers say.

After Denise Kim, a member of rookie girl group Secret Number, expressed her support for BLM on Instagram, her Instagram and SoundCloud accounts were deleted and her agency’s Instagram account deleted its latest photo of her.

Fans criticised Kim’s agency and are now increasingly voicing their outrage about such censorship, as well as calling out idols for hypocrisy.

When Amber Liu, a member of girl group f(x), called for George Floyd’s killer to be charged with first-degree murder, some pointed out that in 2019 she said that a black man – seen being harassed and arrested in a viral video – “deserved it”.

For K-pop, a multi-genre industry heavily influenced by black culture and music, the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted the need for artists and fans to do some soul-searching.

But as these protests have shown, their impact on society cannot be underestimated. When harnessed for a cause, K-pop has the potential to make a difference.





Source link

Previous Post

Rory McIlroy welcomes PGA Tour’s silence for George Floyd at Colonial Country Club

Next Post

JK Rowling responds to trans tweets criticism

Next Post

JK Rowling responds to trans tweets criticism

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED NEWS

Two minutes' silence to mark Armistice Day

2 months ago

Bharat bandh: India farmers protest against law

2 months ago

Covid-19: Millions in England and Wales go into toughest restrictions

1 month ago

Gardens help towns and cities beat countryside for tree cover

3 months ago

FOLLOW US

  • 79 Followers
  • 26.5k Followers
  • 79.6k Subscribers

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Have your say
  • In Pictures
  • Politics
  • Reel
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top News
  • World

Top Stories

  • Frampton-on-Severn: Old photos show Gloucestershire village life

    351 shares
    Share 140 Tweet 88
  • Asos joins race for Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge

    351 shares
    Share 140 Tweet 88
  • ‘It kind of makes debt cool – and it’s not’

    351 shares
    Share 140 Tweet 88
  • Covid: Vaccinated people may spread virus, says Van-Tam

    351 shares
    Share 140 Tweet 88
  • Tse Chi Lop: Alleged Asian drug lord arrested in Amsterdam

    351 shares
    Share 140 Tweet 88

Features

Politics

Nicola Sturgeon: ‘It’s right that I am properly scrutinised’

by admin
January 25, 2021
0

The Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said that it is right she is scrutinised over how she handled sexual...

Read more

Boohoo buys Debenhams brand but all shops to close

January 25, 2021

Russia Navalny protests: Kremlin hits out at West as it downplays rallies

January 25, 2021

NFL: Brady throws three touchdown passes to take Buccaneers to Super Bowl

January 25, 2021

Asos joins race for Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge

January 24, 2021

Recent News

  • Nicola Sturgeon: ‘It’s right that I am properly scrutinised’
  • Boohoo buys Debenhams brand but all shops to close
  • Russia Navalny protests: Kremlin hits out at West as it downplays rallies
JBC News

Breaking news, sport, TV, radio and a whole lot more.
The JBC informs, educates and entertains - wherever you are, whatever your age.

Follow us on social media:

Category

  • Business
  • Have your say
  • In Pictures
  • Politics
  • Reel
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top News
  • World
  •  Staged stars  DavidTennant and  MichaelSheen as two actors forced to take their West End rehearsals online        Continues 10 45pm on  BBCOne  plus all episodes availble now on  bbciplayer    BBCOne  BBCiPlayer  BBC  Comedy  BBCComedy  Drama
  • Joe Wicks   thebodycoach  has become  the nation s PE teacher  during lockdwn  keeping families fit during strange times with his daily live streams of  PE with Joe          Listen to his Desert Island Discs episode with  laurenlaverne on  bbcsounds         Via  bbcradio2                          JoeWicks  TheBodyCoach  BBCRadio4  DesertIslandDiscs  DID  LaurenLaverne   BBCSounds  BBC  PEWithJoe
  • Just some of the incredible memories from decades of  Glastonbury sets     what   s been your favourite moment from Worthy Farm   Relive them all with The Glastonbury Experience  June 25th-29th  at bbc co uk glastonbury     wellies optional        Glastonbury2020
  • Now that s an angry bird                    Via  bbcscotnews      Stephen Kennedy                              BBCScotland  Scotland  Scottish  BlueTit  Birds  Nature  AngryBird  FunnyAnimals  Photography  PictureOfTheDay  PicOfTheDay  BBCScotlandPics  BBCScotlandNews  BBCNews  BBC  Bird  BirdsOfInstagram  AngryBirds  Angry  Fluffy  Queensferry  SouthQueensferry  Ornithology  Birdwatcher  BirdLover  Birdwatching  BirdPhotography  BirdwatchersOfInstagram  BlueTits  Fledgling
  •     Ambulance   Streaming Now    BBCiPlayer   Via  bbciplayer    BBCOne  BBCiPlayer  Paramedic  Paramedics  NHS
  •  TheSalisburyPoisonings concludes at 9pm on  bbcone   All episodes streaming now on  bbciplayer      bbc in 37wAgUv   BBCOne  BBCiPlayer  BBC  Drama  BBCDrama  Salisbury
  • An intricately woven  suspenseful tale of love  murder  magic and revenge set in New Zealand at the height of the 1860s gold rush   The Luminaries  Starts Sunday  9pm  BBC One  with all episodes streaming on  BBCiPlayer immediately afterwards    TheLuminaries  Luminares  BBC  BBCOne  BBCiPlayer
  • Don   t swipe if you   re squeamish - the  phobia challenge  creations on  GlowUp are  in the nicest possible way  disturbing                    Catch  glowupbbc on  bbciplayer                   Via  bbcthree                                            StaceyDooley  MakeUp  MakeUpArtist  MakeUpArtists  MUA  MUAs  GlowUps  MakeUpTips  MakeUpTricks  AmazingMakeIp  MakeUpTutorial  BBCThree  BBCiPlayer  BBC  Phobia  Creepy  Horror  CreepyMakeUp  HorrorMakeUp
  • Really never thought we d see a beautiful picture of a pigeon                       Despite their reputation  pigeons are remarkably smart birds  They form cooperative family units and have the ability to find their way home from hundreds of miles away                       Via  bbcearth        4elementphotos                                   BBCEarth  Bird  Pigeon  BirdsOfInstagram  Ornithology  BeautifulBirds  BirdWatching  Wildlife  WildlifePhotography  NaturePhotography  AmazingAnimals  Nature  NatureLovers  Earth  EarthLovers  PlanetEarth  Pigeons  PigeonsOfInstagram  BBC

Recent News

Nicola Sturgeon: ‘It’s right that I am properly scrutinised’

January 25, 2021

Boohoo buys Debenhams brand but all shops to close

January 25, 2021
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Reel
  • World
  • Worklife
  • Travel
  • More

© 2020 JBC - BBC Clone JOOJ.us.

  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Reel
  • Travel
  • WorkLife
  • Future
  • World
  • Technology
  • Login

© 2020 JBC - BBC Clone JOOJ.us.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In