On November 11, The Simon Wiesenthal Center, one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations, wrote a post to their official website denouncing BTS for wearing a hat with the symbol of the Nazi party and for a concert in which they wave flags that are eerily similar to the swastika.
The hat was worn by BTS’s RM during a photoshoot, the hat in question references Death’s-Head symbol of the SS which is the organization that was responsible for the death of millions of Jews during the WWII Holocaust.
Popular Korean Band Whose Japan Performance Was Cancelled For T-Shirt Mocking A-Bomb Victims, Once Posed With Nazi SS Death Head Symbols, Flew Nazi-Like Flags At Concert #BTS https://t.co/qqvYBvwZxd
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) November 11, 2018
In their official website statement, Rabbi Abraham Cooper said,
“Wearing a T-shirt in Japan mocking the victims of the Nagasaki A-bomb is just the latest incident of this band mocking the past.”
The Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action of the Simon Wiesenthal Center referenced the controversy surrounding the t-shirt Jimin wore which had a picture of the atomic bomb.
Their statement also alleges that the flags BTS had waved during a concert were eerily similar to the swastika, and added,
“It goes without saying that this group, which was invited to speak at the UN, owes the people of Japan and the victims of the Nazism an apology.”
A famous Korean boyband, BTS is said to have done a NAZI resembling concert.
A thread: pic.twitter.com/UjwLCPDrfu— TAro (@TAro91217966) November 9, 2018
Rabbi Cooper called for an apology from BTS and Big Hit Entertainment.
For clarification, the flags waved by BTS happened during a guest appearance for Korean legend Seo Taiji; the flags in question, as well as what they were wearing references a classroom idea.
The song they performed with these flags to criticize uniform education, the song is about a repressive school system.
Back then, the boys wore graduation gowns, watches and such to transform into old black school uniforms. The logo, when inspected on its own, has colors similar to the Nazi swastika (red, black and white) but upon close inspection, it does not resemble in any way or form the Nazi swastika in question.
서태지 교실이데아 로고 팩트
SEOTAIJI CLASSROOM IDEA LOGO FACT허위사실 유포시 캡쳐하여 고소미 먹을 각오 하세요
교실이데아는 한국의 주입식이고 획일화된, 경쟁만을 강요하는 교육현실을 비판하는 곡입니다. #SEOTAIJI #BTS #서태지 #교실이데아 pic.twitter.com/EIh98rris8
— musickid (@musickid221) November 10, 2018
Stay tuned for updates!
The photo of RM is photoshopped, just so you know.
What the f*** big hit said that flag was for a type of education related and it was not our boys fault
Your cruelty oh my god
And that flag actually don’t match