South Korean President's Response to Mexico's Request for More Concert Dates Sparks Controversy

 



As part of their world tour schedule, BTS announced earlier this year that they would perform at Estadio GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City on May 7, 9, and 10. Despite the three scheduled shows, all tickets sold out within just 37 minutes of going on sale. Ticketmaster reported that up to 1.1 million users simultaneously entered the virtual waiting room to purchase tickets.

A Ticketmaster representative described the situation as one of the most intense and highly competitive ticket sales in the recent history of Mexico's live music industry.

However, the atmosphere within the Mexican fan community was far from celebratory. Over the following week, fans repeatedly filed complaints regarding the lack of transparency and fairness in the ticketing process. These concerns included the absence of a published seating map, unclear fee structure, and suspicions of pre-arranged ticket resales.

In response to the backlash, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) announced that it would take strict action against signs of organized illegal activity by ticketing agencies and professional resellers. Meanwhile, the President of Mexico proposed a different solution, informing the public:

"I have sent a formal diplomatic letter to the South Korean President requesting additional BTS performances." 




On The 20th of this month—approximately one month after the statement—Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly released the reply letter from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. In two-minute-and-three-second video posted on TikTok, President Sheinbaum, who appeared to be seated at the conference table inside the presidential palace, read aloud the Spanish translation of President Lee's response.

In the letter, President Lee wrote:

"I'm pleased to confirm that the relationship between South Korea and Mexico, built on mutual respect and trust between our leaders, is growing increasingly deep." 

He added:

"The affection that the Mexican people hold for Korean culture and K-pop clearly demonstrated the profound cultural ties between our two nations." 




President Lee further stated that the Mexican leader's request has been properly conveyed to BTS's management agency. He explained:

"Since pop culture activities are led by the private sector, government involvement may be limited; however, I look forward to a positive response in this area in the future." 

He also expressed his hope that both countries would maintain Close diplomatic communication and conveyed his desire to meet President Sheinbaum again soon. The two leaders previously held talks in the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada last June.

Concluding the video with footage of a BTS concert, President Sheinbaum said:

"Everyone, let's wait for the good news together." 




Although the efforts of both leaders appeared positive on the surface, the ARMY community reacted strongly. Many fans accused the Mexican government of "taking credit" instead of addressing the root problem. They argued that the ticket shortage was not caused by a lack of concert dates, but by fraud and manipulation by scalpers.

Rather than cracking down on irregularities in ticket distribution, authorities were seen as using political influence to pressure BTS into adding more shows. Fans viewed this as an attempt to evade responsibility, which only worsened the unfair situation.

Meanwhile, may fans also criticized the South Korean president for dragging BTS into what they described as a "political cortex." ARMY emphasized that the group is not a diplomatic tool and should not be forced to adjust their schedule for political agendas. Turning a cultural event into a political instrument was widely considered disrespectful and sparked outrage on social media.


ARMYs' Reactions:

1. This woman is just trying to gain followers by sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. On to of that, she's not even addressing what we're actually demanding: fixing the reseller problem.

2. Common sense gives you the answer without even needing to read this. It's clear that Claudia lacks basic judgement.

3. Ugh, she completely missed the point! If they're going to add a date, it should be at the Zócalo. Why would I want more show at GNP when the same ticket chaos will happen again?

4. It's frustrating how politicians keep using BTS for publicity. If they truly want more dates, they should contact HYBE, not make political speeches. BTS doesn't belong to any country.

5. Maybe she should fix the corruption between Ticketmaster and scalpers first instead of using BTS as tourists bait. Ministers have no Business interfering with BTS's schedule.

6. Adding another date without fixing Ticketmaster won't help. Resellers will just buy everything again. BTS wants to perform for their fans, not for people who buy from scalpers. ARMYs have waited for years and deserve those tickets!l

7. No. Clean up the mess in your country instead of asking for more dates. It won't help if scalpers keep getting the tickets. BTS are not political puppets!

8. BTS are artists, not political tools! Governments should stop using them for diplomatic PR and respect their autonomy.

9. Turning BTS into a diplomatic bargaining chip is disrespectful. The real issue is ticketing corruption, not the number of shows. Fix the system instead of pressing artists.

10. Please keep BTS away from political and diplomatic affairs. Isn't it enough that the Korean government constantly uses them to boost the country's economy? I'm so tired of seeing BTS dragged into everything.


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