The Bangtan Boys that have the likes of Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope, and RM as their members, respond to controversy over their upcoming concert in the Middle East, claiming that they only perform for fans.
- October 2, 2019
AceShowbiz - Bangtan Boys have defended their decision to perform in Saudi Arabia, insisting they accepted the gig to give fans in the Middle East a chance to see them live.
The K-pop superstars will resume their "BTS World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" on October 10 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the request of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Since the gig was announced, the group has been met with criticism, after the ruler was implicated in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but the band insists they ultimately agreed to the appearance for the sake of their fans.
"I wouldn't say it was easy," singer RM shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter magazine. "But we were officially invited. It's been a while since we've performed in the Middle East - I guess the last time was 2015 in Dubai."
Bandmate Jimin added: "To put it simply, if there's a place where people want to see us, we'll go there. That's really how we feel."
RM went on to insist that the group tries to find the positive in every situation, explaining, "BTS doesn't talk about big issues like war or peace, or global poverty or starvation", before telling the publication: "There are a lot of issues, both in the United States and in Korea."
"I think the message (is) loving yourself, as well as to look at the small things."
