HYBE received harsh criticisms for allegedly deceiving BTS fans

May 11, 2025

Since October 2023, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has reportedly exceeded 43,062 people, including 16,765 children, according to Al Jazeera, while 101,223 people have been injured by Israeli attacks. In the seven months of the battle, more than 10,000 Palestinian men and women are missing under the rubble in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel is considered an "apartheid state" due to its illegal occupation and administration of Palestinian territories. The border of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, was designated as a "safe zone" for civilians, but 1.5 million Palestinians, mostly children, have to take refuge here in terrible living conditions.

Despite its previous declaration, Israel still attacked thus area, causing great shock in the international community about the indiscriminate killing of civilians.

Since then, K-pop fans in general and BTS fans in particular have supported the BDS movements, taking a pro-Palestinian stance. Fans often ask artists not to support brands that support the Israeli government, and HYBE to stop releasing entertainment products in the country.

On May 9, when HYBE announced a live screening of J-Hope's concert in Japan on May 31, including a full-list of cities where the screening would take place, fans noticed that Israel was excluded.

This was a widely welcomed decision amid an ongoing cross-fandom campaign to push HYBE to abandon its to Zionism. Fans were excited by this initial discovery, seeing it as a further victory after RM's documentary was also not released in Israel.

However, when some ARMYs decided to check the information through the "PLANET" website—Israel's most popular cinema chain, they realised that the concert was actually still scheduled to be shown in this country.

This discovery angered a significant portion of ARMYs, with many calling this alleged attempt at hiding the listing worse their doing it up front.

Many also pointed out that HYBE's attempt to hide the screening in Israel only implied that they were aware of the fans' sentiments but chose to deceive rather than take responsibility. Some netizens argued that HYBE was unethical in releasing BTS's documentary in the country especially during the ongoing war against Palestine.

On the other hand, fans also pointed out that HYBE's move went against BTS's ideals of protecting children's and young people.

In the pas, BTS launched "Love Myself" campaign and the #ENDviolence movement to end abuse and violence against children and adolescents around the world, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, raising a total of 6.6 million USD.

A series of criticisms aimed at HYBE are spreading on social media after this move.

ARMYs comments

— False alarm. This movie seems to be screening there regardless of HYBE trying to hide it in the website to avoid backlash. How pathetic.

— this is worse than just blatantly listing it like what

— So the criticism is hitting them but since they don't want to change their ways (cut ties) and piss off daddy they're withholding information from fans? Not revealing song credits, hiding the settler colony from the initial list of venues, etc. @HYBEOFFICIALtwt, you're complicit

— The movie seems to be screening in "itsnotreal" but HYBE is trying to hide it in the website to avoid backlash. Just proves that they know what's going on.

— Pfff they're such losers. At least own it!

— Hobi's movie will be screened in the terrorist settler colony 'Israel' while bombs are dropping in Palestine. HYBE is holding it on the website and it means we're being heard.  KEEP USE THE TAGS PLEASE!

— We demand that @HYBEOFFICIALtwt cancels the screening in 'Israel' and stop art washing this genocide. Stand against ethic cleansing and genocide, divest from Zionism now! 

— HYBE is trying to hide their efforts to artwash genocide

— Not surprised. They've been known about the boycott since that audit they put out last year but they are trying hard to hide their Zionist complicity, this just means we need to boycott even harder.

Previously, HYBE also forced a similar wave of outrage when they refused to screen Jungkook and Suga's documentary in Israel despite ARMYs calling on them to cut ties with Zionism.

Not only that, in the past few months, Scooter Braun, a member of HYBE's Board of Directors and CEO of HYBE America, was discovered to have an active role in spreading Zionism in the context of Israel's bloody attacks to the Gaza Strip.

Although HYBE has not responded directly to any information about the Scooter Braun, The Korean Times mentioned HYBE's statement that "This is a personal information, not related to the company."

According to fans, this has never been a personal opinion, it belongs to the issue of human ethics and must be condemned. It is impossible to be a neutral in issue of ethics and human rights, because neutrally is complicity with evil!