A Bavarian radio station is apologizing.
Bayern3‘s Matthias Matuschik sparked intense backlash on social media after comparing BTS to the coronavirus during a live show on Wednesday (February 24), via AP.
In the broadcast, the host called BTS‘s version of Coldplay‘s “Fix You” “blasphemy,” going on to suggest the band is “some crappy virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon as well.”
“I have nothing against South Korea, you can’t accuse me of xenophobia only because this boyband is from South Korea…I have a car from South Korea. I have the coolest car around,” he then backtracked.
For punishment for the cover, he suggested the group “will be vacationing in North Korea for the next 20 years.”
In the station’s apology, they claimed the host was “presenting his opinion in an ironic, exaggerated way and with exaggerated excitement, his words went too far and hurt the feelings of BTS fans. But he — and he has assured us of this — in no way intended this. He just wanted to express his displeasure over the aforementioned cover version.” They added that he was involved in raising aid for refugees and has a “constant campaign against right-wing extremism.”
“That does not change the fact that many of you found his statements to be hurtful or racist,” Bayern3 added.
“We apologize for this in every way possible. We will work on the matter with Matthias and the team in detail again in the next few days.”
The backlash against the radio host also comes at a time when anti-Asian sentiment and violence is on the rise. One star just recently spoke of her own experience with the rise in violence.
