On October 27, images of an LED truck appearing outside HYBE's headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, circulated online, drawing attention from the BTS fandom. The truck carried messages urging the company to take action to protect Jimin from the repeated threats he has reportedly been receiving from a group of extreme shippers on social media.
Messages in English and кσяєαn alternated across the LED screen, including: “HYBE, PROTECT JIMIN FROM TAEKOOK SHIPPER THREATS!”, “HYBE, STOP THE HATE! TAKE ACTION AND PROTECT JIMIN!” and “HYBE, JIMIN DESERVES BETTER. WHERE IS YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY?”
For years, the BTS fandom has included groups of fans who strongly support pairings they imagine between members, including Taekook (Taehyung and Jungkook) and Jikook (Jimin and Jungkook). Favoring one or two members of a group is not inherently wrong, as it is a matter of personal preference. However, in recent years, this form of fandom has increasingly taken a troubling turn.
Some extreme shippers view Jimin as an “obstacle” or “enemy” to the imagined relationship between the members they ship, leading to malicious posts and genuine threats of νισℓєи¢є against the singer. The protest truck also highlighted several of the numerous recent threats, including threats to bring acid to a concert to attack Jimin. Similar threats have reportedly surfaced ahead of ARIRANG World Tour shows in вяαzιℓ, Peru, and other locations.
There was also an incident in which a phone was thrown at Jimin during a concert at SoFi Stadium, with allegations linking the incident to someone carrying a Taekook ship banner. Dozens of livestreams and social media posts insulting and threatening Jimin have also been documented, with some even targeting members of his family.
In addition, these extreme shippers have reportedly formed groups, called for attacks, and discussed plans to carry out αѕѕaults that could threaten Jimin's life.
Meanwhile, fans argue that although HYBE/BIGHIT MUSIC has a zero-tolerance policy toward malicious rumors and provides a reporting portal at protect.hybecorp.com, the company's response to genuine security threats has not been sufficiently strong or public. They organized the truck protest to push for more concrete action, including stronger security measures for the artist, monitoring accounts that issue threats, and pursuing appropriate legal action.
Hashtags such as #ProtectJimin, #HYBEProtectJimin, and #JiminDeservesBetter have also been used to spread the message.
Although not every online threat can be confirmed as a genuine risk, statements involving νισℓєи¢є, particularly threats to use acid or carry out physical attacks, must still be taken seriously. On social media, many netizens have also expressed support for the campaign, commenting:
- Imagine dedicating a whole tiktok live to dehumanizing a real person and making a funeral wreath for him and his parents because your imaginary ship isn't real. HYBE need action
- @bts_bigнιт @BTS_twt This has gone too far. Protect your artists/ band members
- @HYBEOFFICIALtwt and @bts_bigнιт need to start a mental health programme cause this fandom is populated by mentally ill patients
- Jimin deserves to feel safe, both on and off stage. Threats of νισℓєи¢є should never be dismissed as fandom drama. HYBE needs to take this seriously and take action to protect him. #ProtectJimin
- No one should be threatened, harαѕѕed, or made to feel unsafe because of someone else's fantasies. Protect Jimin and hold those responsible for genuine threats accountable
- If you truly love BTS, you should never wish harm on any member. Jimin is a human being who deserves respect, safety, and peace. There is absolutely no excuse for threatening his life
- Protecting Jimin should not have to be soмєтнing fans beg for. HYBE has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its artists, especially when serious threats are being reported
- Thank you to everyone speaking up for Jimin. We should never normalize threats against an artist or their family. Let's keep demanding real protection and accountability—for Jimin, and for all seven members of BTS
