ARMYs Divided As HYBE Halts Fan Project For BTS’s Jin

It was also a partnership with an airline.
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Koreaboo

Ahead of BTS Jin‘s birthday, a Japan-based fanbase and KONI (@btsforever1207 on X, formerly Twitter) prepared a project in honor of him, consisting of a themed boarding pass.

The fanbase partnered with airline JINAIR to issue boarding passes with Jin’s face from the Yet to Come in Busan concert.

Recently, ARMYs have been sharing their boarding passes, which they described as “even prettier in person.”ย 

Yet, it has now been announced that HYBE has halted this fan project.

Itโ€™s a complicated matter that leaves me stumped on what to sayโ€ฆ due to HYBEโ€™s request, we halted the fan support for the boarding pass and discarded all the tickets.

โ€” KONI

Both organizers shared statements via X, revealing that the company viewed the fan project as a corporate advertisement since one must buy a ticket from JINAIR to obtain the themed boarding pass.

I really donโ€™t know what to say so my words keep circling around in thin air, and I couldnโ€™t speak up easilyโ€ฆAt first, I thought that there was an error in the issuing of the tickets temporarily, and I was waiting for it to be reopened, but currently, Iโ€™ve found out that HYBE made a request to the airline and advertisement agency to halt it. It seems like they felt that the advertisementโ€™s influence was too big and thought that the airline would benefit off of it. Although we requested for them to see it as a fan support from the international fans that have continued to be a part of the idol fandom, rather than an advertisement for the airline, it seems like they are unable to accept it. But everyone else who has prepared this, including the jingerfan fanbase, has decided to humbly understand the companyโ€™s POV and accept their actions.

โ€” KONI

HYBE contacted JINAIR, requesting that the advertisements be halted. So, the fanbases have had to accept this and look for alternatives. They also plan to make it up to the fans who had paid.

Currently, as the birthday is approaching, the jingerfanbase is taking measures to deal with the subsequent steps for current support, and at the same time, we are preparing birthday support in South Korea at a respondent scale.ย  We are also prepping the steps on how to deal with the participants and passengers of the flight. Please send your warm wishes of support to the fanbasesโ€ฆWe have also heard that even though the ticketsย canโ€™tย be issued, the airline does not have any special steps to deal with the passengers. We feel sad and responsible for having promoted this as a part of the fan support. Although we are unable to soothe your sadness about your planned fun holiday, for the locals, if you wish, we will refund you in full with our own money.ย We will also send you gifts of condolences.

Asย Iโ€™mย also preparing other personal birthday support, I will quickly accept and process the cases for the locals through a form after the birthday. For the participants and passengers in Japan, Jinโ€™s fanbase will deal with it after discussion about gifts of thanks and condolences. They will make an announcement after it has been decided.

All the fees for all the items will be undertaken by myself and the others through our personal funds.ย We feel so sad and distraught that weย canโ€™tย say anything despite how sorry we feel. We hope you can generously understand everyone who has worked hard in this process.

โ€” KONI

ARMYs are divided over the matter. Some feel this project is no different than idols’ birthday ads in magazines since you must also buy a magazine or when a Jimin fanbase had an aircraft decorated.

However, others pointed out that the boarding pass included not only Jin’s name but trademarked and copyrighted content, including “BTS” and “ARMY.” Many also believe the airline would have profited too much from the sales rather than BTS or ARMY.

What do you think?

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