[Sports Chosun Reporter Baek Ji-eun] BTS member RM has been caught up in a public smoking controversy.
On the 22nd, the Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that RM was enjoying a night out with acquaintances in the bustling district of Shibuya, Tokyo, and smoked on the street.
According to the report, RM spent about three hours at an establishment in Shibuya and left the place around 1 a.m. The issue arose as there was no designated smoking area within the building, and despite the presence of clear no-smoking signs in the corridors, RM and his party smoked several times and discarded cigarette butts.
A security guard at the scene testified that “I directly warned RM, but he continued to smoke and threw the cigarette butts on the street.” A female employee who witnessed this reportedly had to kneel to pick up the butts and clean up the mess.
Shukan Bunshun published over 20 photos depicting RM smoking and the staff cleaning the ground.
Regarding this report, RM’s agency, HYBE, has not disclosed any official statement.
In Japan, there are strict regulations against street smoking and littering cigarette butts outside designated smoking areas, and violations are met with sensitivity. Hence, if the reports are accurate, RM might be held accountable for public smoking violations.
However, there are clear issues with the timing and manner of the report. The report involves unauthorized ‘paparazzi’ photography of RM’s strictly private gathering. The outlet has also been criticized for tracking other BTS members’ personal schedules.
The timing of the report is also questionable. BTS held performances at the Tokyo Dome on the 17th and 18th, and will begin their North American tour in Tampa, the USA, on the 25th. Given the continued solidification of their status as world stars despite a 3-year and 9-month hiatus, raising personal issues at this moment is seen as an intentional and malicious attempt to tarnish their image.
BTS has been dominating the Billboard charts, ‘Hot 100’ and ‘Billboard 200,’ with their recently released 5th studio album ‘Arirang.’