BTS faces backlash over alleged racism in new ‘Arirang’ release content

BTS is facing backlash ahead of the release of ‘Arirang’ after fans accused the group’s new animated content of racism and whitewashing. The criticism focuses on the trailer's reimagining of the first known recording of the Korean folk song ‘Arirang’ and specifically on its portrayal of Howard University, the site of that historic recording. Fans say the video sidelines Black people in a setting tied to a historically Black institution, raising fresh concerns about representation in the project.According to Korea Boo, the story behind the first recording of ‘Arirang’ dates back to the 1890s, when seven Korean students recorded the song while attending an American university, making it the first documented recording in history. The material explains that the university was Howard University, which it describes as a historically black college/university. The material also cites The Washington Post, which notes that in 1887, about a third of Howard University's student population was white. The trailer itself also acknowledged that there were historical inaccuracies possible and that it was a modern reimagining.The backlash grew after fans connected BTS’s seven members to the “seven Koreans” shown in the animated trailer. The material says the video depicted them as linked to the students behind the first recording, but critics focused on the crowd scene at the university. In that sequence, “only a few black people are seen and are behind white individuals.”That detail struck many viewers because of Howard University’s history. As the provided material explains, the university was established to help educate former slaves and, at a time of racial inequality, was one of the few universities that offered education to anyone. It also states that “the students were also reportedly housed among Howard University teachers.Fans argue that those facts make the trailer’s visual choices more serious than a simple creative tweak. While the project frames the video as a tribute to cultural preservation, critics say the scene softens the Black history tied to Howard and the story of ‘Arirang’ itself. With ‘Arirang’ nearing release, the criticism has pushed questions about race, history, and representation to the center of the conversation.