Following speculations, BTS will not attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol in May.
Keep reading to know why the septet is not invited.
BTS Not Invited in South Korea's Presidential Inauguration in May for THIS Reason
On April 11, the presidential preparation committee discussed the BTS performance, but it turned out that it was decided not to invite the group on May 10 due to budget issues.
During a briefing at the transition committee in Tongui-dong Seoul in the morning, Park Joo Sun, chairman of the presidential preparation committee announced:
"We concluded that we cannot invite the global idol star BTS this time because of the limited budget."
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He, however, conveyed hope to meet the global superstar in the future, saying:
"I hope that there will be a chance to perform next time when there is a Korean event worthy of BTS' status and reputation."
Chairman Park further explained that it is true that the committee reviewed various proposals especially to invite BTS to perform in the ceremony. They even acknowledged that the GRAMMY nominees are a "cultural asset that Korea boasts."
But Park continued:
"In the process of reviewing, the inauguration ceremony is a small event, but it is a place where unknown stars such as children, young people, and the vulnerable are together, and Yoon gave the keynote that we should hold a substantial event to truly unite the people. We thought that direction was right, too."
President-Elect Yoon Draws Mixed Reactions from ARMYs for 'Politically Exploiting' BTS, Committee Responds
Earlier on April 5, Joo Sun also mentioned on a radio broadcast that they were discussing plans on inviting BTS for a performance. In fact, it was reported that the committee also visited HYBE, the agency of the septet in Yongsan-gu Seoul. Although there are speculations that it could be about the inauguration stage, reports stated that the meeting only discussed ways to promote popular culture.
In response, ARMYs (BTS fandom), conveyed displeasure and claimed that the newly elected president was only using the group to boost his approval ratings.
On the official website of the transition committee, fans spoke about mixing pop with politics. ARMYs highlighted how the government was trying to gain the hearts of its citizens by "using" BTS.
Blue House petition was also created in line with this, and fans took to Weverse to convey their opposition through the hashtag, "NoBTSforInauguration."
In response to this, Park hinted:
"The inauguration ceremony is a legal state event held under the laws and regulations. It's not a political event or an art event. It's an evaluation that the nature of the event cannot be matched at all in terms of the law."
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Written by Eunice Dawson
