German Radio BAYERN 3 Apologizes For Racist Comments Towards BTS

German radio BAYERN 3 and radio host Matthias Matuschik have issued a response after coming under fire for the racist comments Matthias made yesterday about BTS.

ARMY were appalled at the seemingly lacklustre response from the radio station, and once again took to Twitter. This time, however, the situation had grown to concern not only K-Pop fans, but the whole asian community and more.

It's not only about #BTS or K-Pop. Comparing people to a virus is a complete no go already. Comparing an asian group to a virus of asian origin is what makes it racist. #Bayern3Racist https://t.co/hZTNU15UwX

— Tibor Martini (@tibor) February 26, 2021

Thousands of Twitter users called out Matthias’s blatant racism and denounced the idea that this was just a matter of his personal opinion.

You can't hide racism under the humour umbrella just to save face. Making disgusting and distasteful comments on someone's ethnicity was/is/will never be funny. It isn't a ''personal opinion''. You are just racist.#RacismBayern3 #RacismIsNotAnOpinion #Bayern3Racist

— 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 (@twicechartdata) February 26, 2021

racism is NOT an opinion, please do not stay silent we must stan against EVERY FORM OF RACISM, this is also about the whole asian community.

RACISM IS NOT AN OPINION AND WILL NEVER BE.
Apologize.#RacismBayern3 #Bayern3Racist #RassismusBeiBayern3 pic.twitter.com/WWYYGWxShq

— b ♡ ⁷ (@_jaeseumin) February 26, 2021

Buzzfeed Germany even reached out to Matthias to get a personal statement in response to the matter. He explained that he admired Coldplay as a band, and was upset about the BTS cover of “Fix You”. The nationality of the band didn’t matter to him.

I would have been just as upset (exaggeratedly, because that’s my style) with a German or Transcastanian band.” Matuschick added that he had “underestimated the strength of fans that lurked behind the three letters [BTS].

— Matthias Matuschik

He also went on to describe the fans of BTS as ”fanatical followers of a musical cash machine,” and accused them of having twisted his statements. He also expressed that he found it “out of place” that he was being put in the “currently very popular racism club” for his statements. In contrast with his unapologetic response to Buzzfeed, BAYERN3 and Matthias released an official apology statement that was considerably more contrite just a few hours later.