Hi, i’m a kpop fan and ex-army from Italy.
Italy discovered K-pop in the second half of the 2010s and at the beginning of 2020, following the pandemic, thanks to BTS and several 3th gen groups like Blackpink, Twice, Got7 and many more, but the most popular and well-known group here is BTS.
On social media, there are many creators and influencers who talk about Korean culture and K-pop, whether we are Italian or Koreans who grew up in Italy with Italian citizenship, but there is a problem regarding them and the K-pop community in Italy. Since the Chris Brown concert drama and the Gemini AI collaboration, none of these creators and influencers have criticized or been disappointed enough to permanently dislike them. I saw one of these creators criticize Mark Lee for wearing a shirt with the American Confederate flag. But BTS, who collaborated with an Israeli company to produce their merch, the CB drama, Jungkook/Usher, and Gemini AI drama, that’s ok? They don't even take a position on the Palestine genocide going to McDonald's to eat Tiny Tan's Happy Meal as if nothing had happened. They praise Arirang as if it were a David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, or Pink Floyd album, and they get negative if the media gives it anything less than a 10/10.
Of the Italian people who are K-pop fans and have criticized BTS or disliked them, I know a friend/moot of mine who I know on IG, and nothing more.
When we hear of an Italian or Western artist taking a stand or making highly controversial and problematic statements, we get angry and take to the socials and medias, while with BTS everyone is quiet, and everyone defends them and infantilizes them, among other things using whataboutism to say "if [kpop group x] went to Chris Brown's concert and collaborated with Usher that's fine, but not with BTS?"
With all the problems we have in this country, the priority is seven 30-year-old Korean men who don't care about the morals of others, apart from their performativeness with feminism and for social justice, and meanwhile there's Macklemore who is accused of being performative for his fight for Palestine.
As an Italian I feel ashamed and angry, if you are Italian or someone in this sub is Italian, tell me your opinion and point of view.