One photograph can undo weeks of good publicity, and BTS are learning that lesson again this week. J-Hope and RM, two of the group's most prominent members, have found themselves under fire after footage and images showed the pair enjoying a Chris Brown tour stop in Toronto before posing for a photo with the singer himself. The outing has reopened an uncomfortable question for K-pop's biggest act: how much loyalty should fans extend when their idols brush up against controversy?
The timing is notable too, coming amid BTS' Arirang World Tour, which has taken the septet through several North American cities. The group has carefully cultivated an image of empowerment and positivity, making the association with Brown particularly jarring for some followers.
