On April 2, 2025, BigHit Music made a formal request to Chuncheon City to remove a photo of BTS member V from its promotional materials. This request followed a series of photos that Taehyung shared on his Instagram account on February 23, 2025, which featured him at Chuncheon Pungmul Market, capturing the city’s essence.
In a move that drew attention, Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han shared V’s photo on social media on March 7, 2025, alongside a picture of himself mimicking V’s pose at the same market. The mayor’s post included the caption:
“Except for the place, it contrasts in many ways. I’m sorry.”
This playful interaction sparked significant engagement, resulting in over 1,700 reactions as noted in a subsequent press release from Chuncheon City. The city had even planned to leverage V’s visit as part of its market revitalization efforts.
However, with BigHit Music expressing concerns about the unapproved use of V’s image, city officials felt compelled to act swiftly. A spokesperson from BigHit mentioned:
“We asked the local government to delete the photo because it used a portrait of an artist who has not been approved by the agency,” (as reported by Segye Ilbo on April 2).
The fans’ responses to BigHit’s request were vocal and varied, with many expressing dissatisfaction and frustration. One user on the platform X commented:
“They really wanna downplay Taehyung’s influence so bad.”
Numerous fans raised questions about the agency’s intent, suggesting that its actions reflect a tendency to limit V’s exposure and potentially undermine his achievements. Many expressed sentiments such as:
“Hybe can’t stop Tae being one of the gp faves so they are buIIying, even a city tourism. How arrogant is this company? How far are they going to do this against Tae? This keeping-blind to the fandom will backfire. 2 months from now, this fandom will suffer more,”one fan noted.
“LoL bighit gatekeeping Taehyung but sucks at promoting him properly. This company is such a clown,”remarked another user.
Many fans wondered why the agency seemed to turn a blind eye to V’s artistic contributions while suddenly reacting strongly when local authorities sought to highlight his influence. Comments included:
“BigHit really went after the Mayor of Chuncheon just because he took pics at the same spot as Taehyung? The entitlement is unreal.”
“It’s a photo taken by military soldier Kim Taehyung and posted on his personal IG account. Just announce that he didn’t sign his solo contract already!”added another fan.
Understanding the Reason Behind the Photo Removal
A Chuncheon City official offered insight into the decision to remove V’s photo, stating it was a precautionary measure. The city emphasized that BigHit Music’s concerns revolved around the potential for major promotions featuring V’s image, particularly regarding installations like a ‘V photo zone’ rather than simply an SNS post.
“Rather than requesting the deletion of V’s photo outright, the company issued a press release in order to respond preemptively before any controversy could arise,” explained the city official.
Chuncheon City had allocated 1 billion won for a cultural tourism venture that included the proposed ‘V photo zone’ at Pungmul Market. This initiative was part of a larger trend among local governments to utilize BTS-related sites to boost tourism.
“It seems that the agency was concerned about installing photo zones using V rather than just using photos. Local governments all over the country are leveraging the locations visited by BTS to promote their regions, yet there have been numerous copyright disputes in this process,”the official elaborated.
BigHit Music has a history of opposing the unauthorized use of images of BTS members. In previous instances, the agency requested the removal of BTS-themed installations set up by local governments, such as a “BTS Photo Zone”established in Samcheok City that replicated a BTS album photoshoot and another in Gangneung City.
As the landscape of K-pop and its influence continues to evolve, the situation surrounding BTS and local tourism ventures remains a noteworthy case study.