BTS' "appointment" ceremony at Busan 'World Expo' ends in controversy

Article: “Random arm grabbing”…the controversial scene at 'BTS Appointment Ceremony' [Video]

Source: Kookmin Ilbo

BTS' "ambassador appointment" ceremony at Busan '2030 World Expo' is causing controversy.

On the 19th, BTS attended the ceremony held at HYBE office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Choi Tae-won and Busan Mayor Park Hyun-joon participated as co-chairs and presented the members with a plaque of appointment. The issue arose from the poses politicians took while taking a commemorative photo with the members. 

Prime Minister Han presented plaques of appointment to RM and Suga and raised their handshake and took a commemorative photo. However, they raised their right arms causing members faces to be covered. RM had to push his face to the side to show his face towards the camera. 

Afterwards, Chairman Choi, who was presenting J-Hope's plaque of appointment thought it would be inconvenient to raise his hand mid-handshake so he paused for a moment and suggested a pose to make a heart above his head. 

Busan Mayor Park who presented plaque to V concluded the ceremony with a finger heart pose.

After the appointment ceremony, the main guests attending the event came up on the stage and gave badges to the BTS members. This is when the most controversial scene appeared. 

After finishing the commemorative photo shoot, attendees were about to go down the stage, but Jang Seong-min, a policy coordinator at Presidential Office who gave V a badge, turned around, came up to V and held his hand and suddenly lifted it. 

In the sudden situation, V, as if bewildered with the sudden arm raise turned his feet awkwardly while Director Jang maintained his posture with a bright smile while looking straight ahead.

Netizens criticized the scene saying it was "too rude" and "absurd." Netizen that captured politicians' photo shoot that day posted, "They raised their arms like this to look good for their photos while members were getting their arms broken and made a fuss." "It's quite rude to do that all of a sudden."

Other netizens wrote, "I don't know why they raised their hands out of the blue" "It was uncomfortable for both the members and the people watching" "Suga underwent surgery for his arm, this is too much."

Meanwhile the ceremony was broadcast live on the '2030 Busan Expo' official YouTube channel. 

1. [+4,691, -32] Stop using BTS for your politics!
2. [+2,975, -115] The dignified appearance of the Blue House has disappeared. We're at a point where we're asking government officials whether "they're at a BTS fan meeting" and "not to bend their wrists?" The quality of BTS is falling because of those heart poses. We asked Moon Jae-in regime not to use BTS either but they still appointed BTS as Busan Expo ambassador. There must not be much at do at the Blue House if they're doing things like this at HYBE headquarters using BTS for this and that.. 
3. [+2,406, -18] I 100% don't understand why they're doing such unnecessary things. All they had to do was stand side by side for a group commemorative photo and finish things quietly but they're acting like they're some VIP demanding photos one by one with each member.. ugh so rude and embarrassing.
4. [+1,059, -19] Ugly politicians trying to exploit BTS for their own gains.
5. [+569, -23] Are these politician scumbag insane?? Watch where you're putting your hands.. how dare you touch them?
6. [+445, -1] I was curious what it would be like seeing them go to the Blue House, White House and UN but I didn't know they were going to suffer to this level in the face of such vulgar actions. How can we trust these self-entered politician trash to care for their constituents if this is how cheap they're acting??
7. [+374, -1] They're only conscious of the camera and don't care about their rude actions toward the other person..
8. [+310, -4] The Yun regime in a nutshell = Cheap, vulgar, incompetent and eager to show off
9. [+253, -3] Poor V didn't know what to do and was suddenly taken aback when he grabbed up his arm so high. The politician couldn't care less about V's feelings and was so proud of himself putting out smiles for the camera.. 
10. [+210, -1] Our politicians are forever shaming us wherever they go..
11. [+117, -1] Vulgar, rude, and low class
12. [+26, -1] If you're going to use them like this, at least exempt them from military service. Stop making it seem like BTS got shunned while dragging them around and torturing them with the hope of exemptions.