A BTS tourism package, originally promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of South Korea, has come under scrutiny for being sold without the consent of HYBE or BIGHIT MUSIC. On September 28, SBS News reported that a travel agency included a BTS street mural tour in its offerings without the necessary permission from the group’s management.
Since July 2024, the travel agency has been promoting street murals of BTS members V and Suga located in Daegu, their hometown, emphasizing the site as a must-visit for K-pop enthusiasts. The tour’s price is set at over 1.3 million KRW. These murals were created by a prominent Chinese fan club, the artists’ agency HYBE, along with support from the Seo-gu office.
This situation raises concerns over publicity infringement rights, as it involves the unauthorized use of celebrities’ voices, images, or content for commercial purposes. Furthermore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has reportedly issued press releases promoting this tourism package, further complicating the controversy. The Visit Korea Committee also disseminated details about the tourism package, including destination and schedule, on their official website.
Responses from HYBE and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Regarding BTS’ Street Mural Tourism Package Controversy
The street murals of BTS members V (Kim Taehyung) and Suga in Daegu have sparked significant online discussions due to the controversy surrounding the tourism package. The mural dedicated to Kim Taehyung, established by members of the Baidu Vbar fan club from China, spans a large area with a panoramic illustration measuring 2m high and 60m long. It is prominently displayed on the outer wall of Daeseong Elementary School in Bisan-dong, Daegu, which is the alma mater of V. Nearby is Suga’s mural, depicting an illustration of the rapper’s face.
The travel agency offering the BTS street mural tour allegedly did so without obtaining consent from HYBE while charging tourists 1.3 million KRW for this experience. HYBE has reportedly requested that the travel agency pause the tour, stating:
“We were not even aware of this business in advance. In accordance with the principle of protecting the intellectual property rights of our artists, we requested the travel agency to stop the tour.”
In response to the controversy, the Visit Korea Committee has removed the information regarding the mural street tour. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated they are looking into the matter and will take appropriate actions if any violations are confirmed:
“We will first check the facts, and if a problem is confirmed, we will take appropriate action.”
Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Yoo-jung has also expressed her views on the infringement of BTS’s rights, emphasizing:
“We could end up allowing important Korean cultural assets like BTS to be violated without guaranteeing basic rights.”
In other news, BTS members RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are currently serving their military conscription. J-Hope, born in 1994, is expected to complete his service in October 2024, making him the second member to be discharged. Meanwhile, Jin, the oldest member, was the first to be discharged from military service on June 12, 2024. All seven members of BTS are anticipated to reunite as a group in 2025.
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