SEOUL, Aug 18 — BTS stars RM and J-hope have sparked backlash among fans after posing for a photograph with Chris Brown and sharing clips from his concert in Canada.

The pair attended Brown’s show at Rogers Stadium in Toronto before appearing alongside the US R&B singer in a photograph posted to his Instagram account on Thursday.

J-hope also shared an Instagram Story showing himself and RM singing and dancing during Brown’s set, including to his 2011 track Look At Me Now, while tagging the singer’s account.

The posts quickly drew criticism from some members of BTS’ vast ARMY fanbase, who questioned why the K-pop stars were publicly supporting Brown given his history of violence-related cases.

The backlash widened after fellow BTS members Jungkook and V were heard playing and singing along to Brown songs including New Flame, Loyal and Don’t Judge Me during a Weverse livestream a day earlier.

Across X, Instagram, Reddit and Weverse, fans described themselves as “shocked”, “disappointed” and “upset” by the interactions.

One fan quoted by Dawn, who said she had experienced sexual assault herself, wrote: “I am a woman before I am an Army.”

Another wrote on Reddit: “It’s as if the boys are not taking (Chris Brown’s) assault seriously, and that’s very upsetting.”

One Instagram user addressed RM directly, writing: “Seeing you smiling, hugging and publicly promoting a man who assaulted a woman is deeply disturbing.”

Much of the criticism centred on Brown’s 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna, for which he pleaded guilty.

Brown has faced other allegations and legal cases over the years and is awaiting sentencing in the UK after pleading guilty earlier this year to affray over what prosecutors described as a bottle attack on a music producer at a London nightclub in 2023, according to Reuters.

Some fans argued that BTS’ enormous global reach meant its members carried greater responsibility over the artists they publicly supported.

One X user warned that fans rushing to defend celebrities risked overlooking people within their own communities who had experienced domestic violence or abuse.

“But your mutuals who have gone through domestic violence or abusive relationships will,” the user wrote, questioning who such defensive posts were really intended to persuade.

Others argued that enjoying Brown’s music did not amount to endorsing his personal conduct.

“Just because you like their music doesn’t mean you agree with their actions,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another said: “Chris has a huge impact on K-pop, whether ARMY wants to believe it or not. RM and J-hope are huge fans, and Chris is probably a source of inspiration for them.”

A separate Instagram user added: “BTS doesn’t need to be moral role models for us, they have their own lives, their own interests. I’m disappointed, but not too heartbroken.”

The criticism has been particularly pointed towards RM, who has previously spoken publicly about reading feminist literature and educating himself about social issues.

One Reddit user rejected the argument that listeners could simply separate an artist’s work from their behaviour.

“People say ‘separate the art from the artist,’ but I don’t think that should ever be applied to living people who are still actively making money despite their awful deeds,” the user wrote.

The row has left BTS fans debating where admiration for an artist’s music ends and public endorsement begins.