'Whitewashed' BTS animation reignites longstanding K-pop controversies over appropriation

An animated trailer promoting BTS's fifth studio album “Arirang” has drawn sharp criticism in the United States for whitewashing Howard University, depicting the historically Black institution's campus as filled with predominantly white faces.

The trailer, released March 13 on the group's official YouTube channel, draws on a real historical episode. In 1896, seven Korean students enrolled at Howard, and, with the help of ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher, produced the first known audio recordings of Korean voices in the United States, including a version of “Arirang,” the folk song considered Korea's unofficial national anthem.

The video reimagines the seven BTS members in place of those students, performing on Howard's campus to a gathered crowd.

The problem, critics say, is the racial demographics of the crowd. Howard University was founded in 1867 to educate Black people in the United States during segregation, and federal statistics show that 67 percent of its current full-time undergraduates are Black.

In the animated video, however, most of the figures in the audience are white. The contrast prompted accusations of “whitewashing” across social media platforms including Reddit, X and Instagram.

Howard University responded through its news outlet, The Dig, publishing an article on Friday that acknowledged the historical significance of the Korean students' story while noting the video's representational shortcomings.

“BTS’s teaser video brings to light some important issues as the world navigates growing cultural intersections,” said the outlet. “The video properly acknowledges Howard's role in educating the students who would make history.”

“However, there are some inaccuracies [...] Most of the people depicted in the audience on The Yard are not Black, which belies the institution’s history as one of the country’s foremost colleges with a predominantly Black student body,” said the outlet. “Though much of the faculty at the time was not Black, the video does elucidate the need for cultural sensitivity and historical accuracy even when intentions are positive.”

In a separate statement to broadcaster WJLA on March 17, a Howard spokesperson emphasized the university's identity as “a leading historically Black university” and its “founding mission to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to advance culture, scholarship and discovery.”

On Reddit's r/kpopnoir forum, a discussion thread about the controversy drew over 1,200 likes. Black K-pop fans and HBCU community members pointed to what they described as a recurring tension: K-pop heavily borrowing from Black musical genres like hip-hop and R&B alongside a pattern of sidelining Black audiences and history.

“I'm so glad they addressed the whitewashing. Coming from Howard University is very important because I'm seeing fans trying to tokenize the black fans who liked the animation,” wrote one user. “I'm glad Howard validated many of us because ARMYs are trying to gaslight people into thinking what happened was okay.”

“Even when a starting point may seem historically imperfect, it can still act as a catalyst for deeper understanding, because, after all, it is art, and art at its core is a conversation,” said Alexander McSwain, associate professor and coordinator of electronic studio arts at Howard University in the campus outlet’s article.

BTS and HYBE have not issued a public statement beyond a disclaimer included in the video, which reads “This production may deviate from actual historical events and does not serve as a formal evaluation or interpretation of any historical event or person.”

Some fans have defended the video on those grounds, with some noting that Howard had white faculty members and a white president during its early years.

“I think the discourse reveals what I basically kind of felt with a lot of K-pop,” Devin L, a Howard University alum and K-pop fan, told media outlet theGrio. “It’s a bit of an arm’s-length appreciation of our culture rather than a full-on embrace. Which considering a lot of the obvious influences, it should be more of the latter.”

“Arirang,” released Friday with 14 tracks, debuted to strong streaming numbers. BTS performed a free comeback concert at central Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday and will begin an 82-show world tour in April.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]