New York City Restaurant Owner Criticised For Filming BTS Without Their Consent

While BTS is incredibly busy with performing, composing and generating the content that their fans love, many ARMYs know that it is important that idol groups should be given privacy and personal space when they can.

Especially while a group is touring internationally, most fans know it is important to allow them to relax and enjoy their downtime.

Unfortunately, given the high-profile fame that BTS has garnered internationally, sometimes this isn’t possible.

While BTS was staying in New York during their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour, they were filmed by the co-owner of a Korean BBQ restaurant while they were dining there.

BTS dropped by popular Korean barbecue chain, Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong and were unknowingly videoed by co-owner Bobby Kwak while they were eating.

The video was then posted on his Instagram account which caused widespread disappointment at the breaching of BTS’s privacy.

Furthermore, the Instagram caption incited frustration as Bobby Kwak unnecessarily compared BTS to BIGBANG underneath his video of BTS.

Maybe I am just being too harsh or maybe it’s way past their time but I feel like Big Bang had more talent than BTS. Kinda like Jordan vs. Lebron debate but I will admit they are slowly growing on me

Many on social media have been incensed that he would compare two talented boy groups, both successful in their own right, while filming BTS without their consent.

invading of their privacy and taking videos without their permission is so fcking disrespectful, not just those malicious comments on ig that made me upset but the fact that they can't respect bts. Im taking down the entire business idc.
https://t.co/zkYTUwHp8x

— 承 petuniá (@poemforhope) May 23, 2019

In response, fans flooded the restaurant’s Yelp page with one-star reviews and criticised Bobby’s rhetoric on his Instagram video.

A restaurant dared to invade BTS privacy, as a result: pic.twitter.com/66COjzQ7ma

— ➹ (@bhxcyphers) May 23, 2019

Yelp ended up having to disable the restaurant’s reviews due to the unusually large amount of complaints being posted.

In response, Bobby took down the video of BTS and made another post apologising for his actions and stating that this did not reflect the restaurant, but rather his own personal decisions.

View this post on Instagram

Just want to apologize to BTS and all the BTS fans out there. The video taken yesterday was not done by Baekjeong the restaurant but by myself personally while i was eating there. There are no hidden cameras and i take full responsibility. I got star struck. I hope all the fans and the members of BTS will be forgiving and know it was done with zero malice.

A post shared by @ bobbykwak on May 23, 2019 at 9:26am PDT

Fortunately, it seems like BTS thoroughly enjoyed their downtime in New York!

They went sightseeing and explored some of New York’s top tourist attractions.

NY!!!!! 🔥🤩💕🥺 pic.twitter.com/ZeQ35KNlzv

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) May 17, 2019

I met MET 😱 pic.twitter.com/t6zhunGrGi

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) May 17, 2019

Furthermore, J-Hope was able to freely roam and explore Central Park Zoo, ahead of the widely anticipated BTS performance at Central Park, showing most ARMYs know how important it is for their idols’ wellbeing to respect their personal space.

Hopefully, members of the public will understand that even though celebrities enjoy such a wide-profile, at the end of the day, they are still people and should enjoy as much downtime as they can get.