K-pop fans become an unexpected ally to American protesters
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As American protesters took to the streets to mourn the death of George Floyd, they found an unexpected ally: K-pop fans.
Floyd died May 25 after a police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving. K-pop fans galvanized by police brutality and political disappointments swiftly mobilized, re-purposing their usual platforms and hashtags from boosting their favorite stars to backing the Black Lives Matter movement. They flooded right-wing hashtags and police apps with short video clips and memes of their K-pop stars.
In a tweet Thursday to its 26 million fans, South Korean boy band BTS said it opposes racial discrimination and violence and announced a $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter. Fans quickly followed suit with the hashtag #MatchAMillion on Twitter, matching the donation after 24 hours according to “One “One In An ARMY,” a global fundraising team made up of BTS fans.
Even so, political activism isn’t exactly associated with K-pop fans. Over the years, K-pop fans have gained notoriety for overtaking Twitter trends and Instagram feeds. The loose network of fans mobilizes in a heartbeat — usually to promote new songs from their favorite K-pop artists or to put down their critics. That same social media energy is being repurposed to support the Black Lives Matter movement, and BTS fans, known as ARMY, are at the forefront.
Chloë Gallot, a French university student, said she joined ARMY — Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth — earlier this year when she “fell into the rabbit hole” while searching for a distraction from the coronavirus outbreak and personal troubles. A few days ago, Gallot became one of the ARMY members to respond to the #MatchAMillion hashtag, donating around $90 to Black Lives Matter.
“They (BTS)...