The K-Pop industry in particular and the idol industry in general have always been fan-centric. Idols always show their appreciation and perform various types of fan-service to make fans happy.
However, that does not mean that fans are allowed to take advantage of or do anything that violates idols. Specificially, BTS fan community always rejects any behavior that goes beyond the limits of fans towards superstars.
Recently, ARMYs could not contain their anger when witnessing an incident that happened during j-hope's world tour. A clip shared on social media recorded the moment j-hope interacted with the au∂ιєnce sitting near the stage during the performance on March 24 in мєχι¢σ.
Notably, in the video, a fan touched him without permission. Not only that, this person also tried to touch his stomach regardless of the distance or the idol's reaction. The fan did not stop her action until j-hope moved away.
As soon as the video went viral, ARMYs took to social media to express their disappointment. They condemned the lack of boundaries and argued that such behavior could prevent the idol from interacting closely with his au∂ιєnces in the future.
Many emphasized the importance of respecting the artist's personal space. They said that although j-hope enjoys connecting with fans, actions like this could make him uncomfortable.
Some pointed out that j-hope's reaction showed nervousness but he tried to hide it with his professionalism:
- Shame on anyone who decides to do things like these. Everyone has been respectful so far, why do people think they´ll appreciate if anyone crosses the line? People must have boundaries.
- Broo whyyyyy ... seriously? He finally gets the chance to interact with army's as he always wanted and wtf ??? Do you not want the boys to ever interact with us again ? You're screwing this up. Imagine if all 7 would interact with us like Hobi did but in 60+ shows," a fan commented
- This is giving me anxiety. Invading anyone's personal space is a big NO. And this is terrible fan behaviour. Please no... just don't. The boys trust us so much. If they want this, they will initiate it and talk to us about this. Currently, just DON'T," an X user wrote
- I think its common sense that if you don't want anyone randomly touching your chest, then you shouldn't randomly touch someone's chest like that. Celebrity or not. Fan or not. You all are strangers.
- He definitely jumped back because of that. Everyone else at barricade has managed to be respectful
- this is SO inappropriate, you can also see that he wasn’t comfortable with it since he pulled away right after she put her hands, i didn’t think someone would do this at his concert, his tour has been going so well but yea let’s not do this.. smh
- they still touched his torso without consent and kept reaching for him even after he immediately stepped back, so that's still a disgusting thing to do
On the other hand, this is not the first time BTS members have been "touched" rudely by fans. Last June, after his discharge from the military, Jin held a "Free Hug" event for many lucky fans.
However, during the event, a נαραиese woman took advantage of this and tried to kiss Jin on the cheek, causing him to have an unpleasant reaction. This person later faced legal action when she was sued by the Seoul ρσℓι¢є, with the help of נαραи's Interpol.
In j-hope's case, this cross-boundary fan could be held legally responsible for violating the idol's body.
So, for anyone who intends to "touch" the BTS members rudely, consider whether you want to stand in front of the bar or not?
