BTL-EXO war

The buzzword of this year’s Mnet Asian Music Award (MAMA), which marks the eighth year, was the tears shed by BTS, which won the Artist of the Year. When Rap Monster, the leader of the team, said, “Many people said we wouldn’t make it. We thank everyone who believed in us,” the team members wiped tears. BTS repeatedly thanked its fan club ARMY. What happened to them?

Meanwhile, EXO’s fan club, EXO-L, sighed. Though EXCO won four awards including the Album of the Year, beating other competitors, the result seemed to be difficult to swallow. “How can our boys lose the Artist of the Year to BTS?” While my nephew who is an elementary school and avid EXO fan complained, a high school girl in the neighborhood, a BTS fan, shed tears, saying, “Think how much oppression we got. They did it overcoming slanders and malicious comments.”

Of course, entertainment agencies made idol bands competitive -- whether it be songs, dance, appearance or performance-- but the strong driver behind the Korea pop culture or K-pop is fans who consume the idol culture. The intensity of support and cohesiveness that fans, mostly teenagers, show is beyond imagination. The protest against mad cow disease in 2008 was initiated by the fan club of TVXQ who claimed, “Our boys might have pores in their brain if they eat beef of cows infected with mad cow disease.” It is a unique Korean phenomenon that surprises the world.

Following idol singers blindly, defending their mistake, and competing with other fan clubs can be understood as a subculture of young adults who live under stress. However, it is worrisome that they attack other singers and ostracize those who do not support their favorite singers, going beyond supporting them. This is the same as what is happening in the adult world - not talking to and having a meal together with people who have a different ideology and support a different political party. It is worth noting the BTL vs. EXO war and its meaning in the context of an impeachment in Korea. We do not have any right to criticize other people’s taste.

shchung@donga.com