K-pop fans of BTS, Blackpink, Exo and more show their power in recent Thai protests

Thai K-pop fans have raised money to buy protective equipment and donate to non-profits supporting those arrested in Thailand’s anti-government protests

K-pop fans’ presence is also visible at protests, as activists wave LED signs and light sticks like they would at K-pop concerts

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A Thai pro-democracy activist flashes the three-finger salute during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 25. Fans of K-pop groups like BTS, Super Junior, Exo, Blackpink and Shinee have emerged as a political force in the country’s recent protests. Photo: EPA

Published: 7:30am, 5 Nov 2020Updated: 9:28pm, 25 Nov 2020

From raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Thai protesters to inspiring the youths who join demonstrations through dances and social media, K-pop fans have emerged as a potent political force in Thailand’s anti-government movement.

Earlier this year, fans of K-pop acts such as BTS and Blackpink in the United States surprised many people by using their social media power to raise funds for Black Lives Matter and to sabotage a re-election rally for US President Donald Trump.

But, in Thailand, they have been part of the youth culture for a long time, and their support for the protest movement reflects the frustrations of a generation that is unhappy with the government using the power of the state to stifle dissent.

“K-pop fans would love to just fangirl over our ‘oppas’ [an innocent term women use to address men older than them, often translated as older brother] and care about nothing else, but with our country like this, we as citizens have to call for better things,” said Suphinchaya, 23. Like many Thai protesters she declined to give her full name because of the sensitivity of the issue.

A billboard in Bangkok, Thailand, wishing happy birthday to K-pop singer Jimin. K-pop fans buy advertisements to celebrate their beloved artists’ birthdays or album releases. Photo: Reuters

Young, mostly female and social media-savvy, the profile of K-pop fans matches that of many protesters, said Chayanit Choedthammatorn, a Thai researcher of Korean studies. “Although they are K-pop fans, they are Thai citizens first,” she said.