On June 21st, The New Yorker released an article about BTS written by E. Tammy Kim that quickly angered K-Pop fans to the point of trending the phrases #TammyKimApologize and #NewYorkerApologize. Although the article was meant to focus on "How BTS Became One of the Most Popular Bands in History", many fans were upset by the “unnecessary” mention of SHINee‘s Jonghyun and the “disrespect” of veteran group BIGBANG.

When the writer mentioned BTS’s accomplishment of partnering with a worldwide organization to help the younger generation, they also included the passing of Jonghyun, which fans commented as “unnecessary” because the two events are unrelated.

In her article, she wrote: "In 2017—the same year that Kim Jonghyun, a singer in the K-pop group SHINee, died by suicide—BTS launched a campaign with UNICEF to combat violence against children and teens."

Many netizens feel that the writing style of the writer in this article is quite sensitive. Netizens feel uncomfortable when mentioning Jonghyun's departure in such a context is irrelevant.

Not only that, but many netizens also pointed out that Jonghyun should be remembered for “his legacy as an artist” and his calls for social justice - from supporting the community LGBT+ to mental health. K-Pop fans have also expressed their anger over other parts of the article.

Not only that, but the article's mention of a Chinese ARMY who feels welcomed by ARMY as a member of the LGBT+ community also has nothing to do with BIGBANG's publicized situations with the Korean law. In the artice, there are some lines: "An army named Wang in Chengdu, China, who identifies as gay, though not publicly, told me, “There’s a big queer component of BTS. The fandom feels really welcoming.” (Contrast this with the K-pop group Big Bang, whose singers have been convicted of sex trafficking, gambling, and drug crimes.)"

So some feel like the writer is trying to gain views by mentioning BTS along with other artists!

Fans have pointed out how much G-Dragon has supported the LGBT+ community, whether it's bringing attention to LGBT+ establishments or getting a tattoo in their honor. The group's past situations also didn't affect the VIPs' welcoming of LGBT+ fans.

In another part of the article, many netizens and ARMY also felt angry when the writer said that there are not many K-Pop groups with a focus on Hip-Hop. This person ignored the wave of many K-Pop groups like Block B, BAP, and DMTN who debuted before BTS.

The writer wrote: "It was unusual for a K-pop group to start from a base of rap and hip-hop. …But, unlike at the Korean big three, Bang [Si Hyuk] would allow his idols to express themselves, both by writing their own music and by interacting directly with their fans."

In addition, ARMYs also pointed out that the writer is intentionally causing controversy by praising BTS. Meanwhile, ARMY and BTS as well as other netizens have always respected that senior groups like SHINee, Brown Eyed Girls and BIGBANG wrote and produced their music.

So far, there has been no response from The New Yorker or writer E. Tammy Kim on the matter.