K-Pop Fans Hijack #WhiteLivesMatter to Drown Out Racist Posts

K-Pop fandoms have stepped out of promoting their idols to hijack the #whitelivesmatter hashtag. They drowned out racist statements with Korean "fancams" on Wednesday, June 3.

A quick search of the controversial hashtag on both Twitter and Instagram returns K-Pop "fancams." The image and video footage included popular Korean pop groups such as TWICE, Blackpink, and BTS. Some posts even had messages that made fun of white supremacists and racists.

K-pop fans tweet

One Twitter user wrote: "Hwasa spitting on all the racist, homophobic, misogynist, sexist, transphobic, islamophobic, @**holes." The post featured a compilation of Ahn Hye Jin, better known as Mamamoo's Hwasa, spitting from the girl group's performances of their song "Hip."

Another user trolls the hashtag's supporters. He wrote: "#whitelivesmatter yall this white is a look! stream more & more luvs." Instead of promoting the white supremacist tag, the video featured the K-Pop girl group TWICE dressed in all white. This video is of their performance of "Feel Special."

Yet another user had a more serious message to share. He tweets that Namjoon "couldn't have said it better #WhiteLivesMatter." The tweet showed a video of Kim Nam-Joon, better known as RM of BTS. The message was, "No matter who you are, where you're from. Your skin color, your gender identity - just speak yourself." The clip was from the speech RM gave at the United Nations in 2018.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the hashtag #whitelivesmatter initially promoted "a planned day of social media action."

K-pop fans hijack other hashtags

K-Pop fans are known for mobilizing in large numbers on social media platforms. That is even with short notices. The K-Pop fandom has also taken over other hashtags. Among the hashtags involved are pro-Trump, pro-police, and right-wing. A similar mix of Korean artists in an image, GIF, or video format has flooded #MAGA and #BlueLivesMatter. Captions are against racism. Now, such hashtags are rendered useless.

Shielding Black Lives Matter

Aside from shutting down racist hashtags, these fans of Korean music have also managed to shield "Black Lives Matter" protesters. The K-Pop takeover hampered law enforcement efforts to trace and identify protesters, some of which have been bailed out, thanks to donations. Police departments across the United States, including those in Dallas, TX and Grand Rapids, MI, have created public hotlines. These tip lines were for residents to report protesters and send footage for police to investigate.

Dallas PD wrote on Twitter last Sunday: "If you have a video of illegal activity from the protests and are trying to share it with @DallasPD, you can download it to our iWatch Dallas app. You can remain anonymous."

K-Pop stans promptly went and filled the tip lines with their own "footage." The iWatch Dallas was flooded with videos of their favorite Korean artists.

On June 1, a day after iWatch Dallas was announced, the Dallas PD had to break the news: "Due to technical difficulties iWatch Dallas app will be down temporarily."

Aside from the fans, most of their idols have already weighed in on the issue. Korean artists have expressed support for the movement following George Floyd's death. Former 2 PM and "Art of Movement" crew member Jay Park wrote on Instagram. Park wrote that he's sick the same thing happening over and over again. He also credited Black culture as inspiring him. Park also wrote: "just as a man and a human being... to thing how helpless he felt and how inhumane he was treated."

Tags

K-Pop, Black Lives Matter, Twice, BlackPink, BTS