BTS' SUGA receives death threats: ARMY forms 'Purple Ribbon' line amidst funeral wreaths at HYBE

What is wrong with South Korea and anti fans? It is well-known that in fan culture if you like a celebrity, you will go to great lengths to protect them. Conversely, if you dislike someone, you may also go to great lengths to express that hate. Currently, in South Korea, it seems that haters are dominating the narrative surrounding major companies like SM Entertainment for example, which recently let go of their idol Seunghan from the group RIIZE amid backlash from a handful of anti-fans.

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This situation has undoubtedly emboldened BTS haters, who have sent funeral wreaths to HYBE—the agency representing the group—demanding the release of rapper SUGA. Why, you may ask? It's because Min Yoongi became embroiled in a DUI incident (technically an RUI, as he was riding an electric kickboard) two months ago. He fell off an electric scooter outside the main gate of his apartment complex while making a sharp turn. This incident sparked a significant scandal in South Korea, while the rest of the world questioned why it caused such an uproar in that country.

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In fact, the South Korean media had a field day sharing fake CCTV footage, which only gave haters more reasons to express their disdain towards Yoongi. As of this writing this article, the case is closed, with the rapper having paid a fine of 15 million won. However, the anti-fans are not satisfied. Just like with Seunghan, they want to kick SUGA out as well. What has shocked fans is that these haters have even obtained permission from the police to "protect" the funeral wreaths. Taking it a step further, one anti-fan posted a story on their Instagram saying that if she could send wreaths, then she could also kill him.

Why is it not OKAY but South Korea is allowing it?

In Korea, such wreaths are sent during funeral services. The greater the number of wreaths, the more respect is shown for the individual. However, the messages on these wreaths, when sent to K-pop idols, amount to harassment, with comments like "We would prefer if you were dead" and "You should commit suicide." The global community is wondering why Korean fans are behaving in such a vile manner toward idols. The concept of idols as products is being widely criticized on social media.

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The fandom ARMY has discovered that these anti-fans are mainly fans of the girl group NewJeans, who have currently shown hostility toward the company over the past few months due to the HYBE vs Min Hee Jin issue. They are now trying to prove that they can oust a member of the biggest group in the world.

In retaliation, ARMY gathered in huge numbers from across the globe outside HYBE to form a "purple ribbon" line in front of the wreaths. Many BTS fanbases from different countries have also arranged trucks playing SUGA's songs at high volume, asserting that "BTS is 7." Fans have shared all photos and videos of these demonstrations on X (formerly known as Twitter).

More about the funeral wreaths:

According to HYBE, the wreaths were taken down after 5 PM because the permitted time limit had expired. Under South Korean law, this type of protest is classified as a civil public demonstration and does not encroach on private property. Hence, the agency had no legal right to remove the wreaths until the permitted time limit was up. 

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