BTS Jimin's father has canceled his controversial fan sign event.
According to reports, Mr. Park had planned a fan meeting for himself, not his son Jimin of BTS, on August 11 Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, but it was canceled. The event was part of a celebration for the opening of his cafe's Japanese branch.
The organizers of the fan meeting previously stated, "We respect Mr. Park's wishes, and though we're preparing for him to communicate with as many people as possible, we anticipate a large crowd due to Mr. Park's first visit to Japan." However, the event was canceled, and the organizers announced, "It's unfortunate the event was canceled due to Mr. Park's personal circumstances, which makes it difficult for him to come to Japan suddenly."
Mr. Park operates a cafe in Jin-nam-ro, Nam-gu, Busan, and given BTS' global popularity, many ARMY visit the cafe regularly. The cafe also sells merchandise, including t-shirts, necklaces, hats, and handcreams, mostly in BTS' signature color purple. There are several products symbolizing Jimin's birth year, 1995, as well.
Jimin's father is said to enjoy celebrity-level popularity due to Jimin's fame, and reviews from those who visited the cafe describe long lines of ARMY waiting for Mr. Park's autograph. The issues at hand involve the merchandise featuring Mr. Park's autograph and the canceled fan meeting in Japan. There are criticisms that Mr. Park is personally profiting by leveraging BTS and Jimin's popularity. Concerns have also been raised about whether these acts harm Jimin's image.
However, there is also support for Mr. Park. Some argue that his fan services help with ARMY's desire to see Jimin, and that there is no issue with Jimin's father profiting from their relationship. Additionally, Mr. Park's past charitable work, such as donating ramen to low-income families over three years, has also been highlighted.
Netizens are expressing shock that the father of an artist would hold a fan sign event. They commented, "Is the father famous? He's holding a fan sign event," "What is this," "It's not even Jimin's autograph," "Usually the celebrity's sister or brother does things like this, but here it's the father," "What's with the people actually standing in line," "Is this real," and more.
Jimin is currently serving in the military. He enlisted with fellow member Jungkook in December of last year, and his expected discharge date is June 2025.
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