BTS Promo Video Sparks Backlash While Revealing Forgotten Black History at Howard University
Popular K Pop group BTS released its comeback album Arirang this week, but the conversation surrounding the project began days earlier with a promotional video that quickly drew criticism online.
The video, meant to honor the history of seven Korean students who attended Howard University in 1896, instead sparked backlash after viewers noticed a largely white crowd depicted on what appeared to be the campus of the historically Black institution.
The group included a disclaimer at the start of the video acknowledging that the project was a “modern reimagining” inspired by historical records, including a May 8, 1896 Washington Post article titled “Seven Koreans at Howard.” The statement also noted that the production may deviate from actual events and should not be viewed as a formal historical interpretation.
Still, for many viewers, the visual choices overshadowed the intent.
The Real Story of Korean Students at Howard University
The history referenced in BTS’s video traces back to a little known moment at Howard University, founded in 1867 as a hub for Black education during segregation.
In 1896, seven Korean students arrived in Washington, D.C., after being stranded in Vancouver without financial support. With the help of Korean Minister Suh Kwang Bum, they were able to travel to the capital and enroll at Howard.
Historian Rayford Logan noted, “On April 29, 1896, the Korean Minister personally requested at the meeting of the Executive Committee, that rooms be provided for… Korean young men. The Committee voted to make them available to them, free of charge, in Clark Hall…”
At a time when many institutions upheld strict racial barriers, Howard functioned as a rare space that extended opportunity beyond Black Americans to other marginalized groups navigating discrimination.
How “Arirang” Became Part of U.S. History
The students’ presence at Howard left a cultural mark that extends beyond the classroom.
Reports indicate that their singing gained attention across Washington, eventually leading anthropologist Alice C. Fletcher to invite several of the students to her home. There, they recorded what are believed to be the first known audio recordings of Korean voices in the United States.
Among those recordings was “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song that has since become a cultural symbol both in Korea and globally.
“Howard University stands as one of the most iconic institutions in the nation’s capital, distinguished globally for its founding mission to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to advance culture, scholarship, and discovery. The University has welcomed students from across the globe who both shape and are shaped by its unique environment—one that champions freedom of thought, discovery, and innovation, while proudly honoring its identity as a leading historically Black university,” Howard University wrote in a statement to WJLA. “This legacy reflects why Howard is known worldwide as “The Mecca.”
Backlash Over Whitewashing and Cultural Representation
The criticism surrounding BTS’s promo video centers on what many see as a missed opportunity to accurately reflect that history.
Depicting a predominantly white crowd in a setting tied to a historically Black campus during segregation struck viewers as inconsistent with the institution’s identity and historical context.
For critics, the issue is not simply about casting choices, but about how Black spaces and contributions are represented, particularly when those spaces play a central role in the story being told.
This rich history is exactly why the whitewashed crowd in that promo video stings the way it does. However, BTS’s latest incident highlights a broader issue within the K-Pop community. Through the years, there has been a pattern of Korean artists drawing inspiration from elements of Black culture to the point that some fans have categorized it as cultural appropriation.
Broader Questions About K Pop and Black Culture
The controversy has also revived long standing conversations about K Pop’s relationship with Black culture.
just a little side note … howard university is historically black university and during that time it provided “refugee” for black americans at the time that were prohibited to attend most colleges . it was/and is mainly black campus !! https://t.co/mnYt5BCFIo
— keke⁷ 🪭 is seeing bts (@stallseok) March 13, 2026
@bts_bighit This animation is historically inaccurate. Howard University is a Historically Black University, founded to provide educational opportunities for Black students. In 1896, during segregation, the majority of students were Black, yet the animation shows mostly white https://t.co/MbLLekeC5n
— Rebecca Kwanga ♒ 🇰🇪BTS-ARMY (@RebeccaKwanga) March 13, 2026
Over the years, the genre has drawn heavily from Black music styles, aesthetics, and performance traditions. While many fans view this as cultural exchange, others argue that it often stops short of fully acknowledging or honoring its roots.
“I think the discourse reveals what I basically kind of felt with a lot of K pop,” said Devin L., a Howard University alum and fan of the genre. “It’s a bit of an arm’s length appreciation of our culture rather than a full on embrace. Which considering a lot of the obvious influences, it should be more of the latter.”
As BTS’s Arirang era begins, the conversation surrounding the album extends beyond music, pulling a largely forgotten chapter of Black and Korean history back into the spotlight while raising ongoing questions about representation, accuracy, and respect.
