[instiz] THE 14 VICTIMS OF THE FIRE TRAGEDY OVERSHADOWED BY BTS AND RM'S INJURY

On March 20, 2026, a fire broke out at a subcontractor of Hyundai Motor, killing 14 workers. Including firefighters injured while extinguishing the blaze, more than 60 people were wounded. It happened just one day before BTS’s comeback performance at Gwanghwamun in Seoul.

Articles reporting that BTS leader RM had injured his ankle during rehearsal and would have limitations in performing the choreography were featured hundreds of times on portal main news pages, smartphone news alerts, and even elevator media boards. Meanwhile, news of the fire remained brief and did not lead to in-depth coverage. As the identification of the victims was delayed, their families were unable to hold funerals and were left in anguish, yet one had to deliberately search for and find related articles to even learn about it.

Weeks before the BTS performance, the Seoul city government had warned of major congestion in the area. Many citizens questioned whether such concern was warranted, yet endured the discomfort of handing over the public square to a large media event in the name of enhancing national prestige. Thus, BTS was introduced to the world as the face of the square, while the faces of ordinary people who had stood there before were rarely seen. Even when they wish to voice their concerns more desperately to a larger audience, they are often blocked by the “Assembly and Demonstration Act,” unable to even gain the opportunity to stand in the square. There is also little media coverage that represents them.

We must become witnesses, not merely spectators. Spectators only see what is shown to them, but witnesses face reality directly and distinguish truth from falsehood. A spectator’s best effort ends with inferring unseen information on the screen and grasping the creator’s intent, whereas a witness testifies to what they have seen and urges it to be officially recorded in the world. This is the urgent task for the ordinary faces living in a “society of the spectacle.”

source: https://n.news.naver.com/article/036/0000053414

original post: here

1. Hul even the firefighters got hurt from this ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

2. You'd think BTS lit the fire up

3. D*mn this society... I feel so bad

4. I get a similar feeling to the impeachment protests. On one side, people are shivering from the cold and suffering from the fire, while on the other, people are dressed in suits, clapping and singing "Fire."

5. Didn't they get criticized for mobilizing a huge number of public servants for that performance and keeping the stage with the lights on? I don't really like over-linking things, but I think there was quite a bit of talk about this back then as well

> And I also think they should've changed the lyrics

> Just look at MAMA at Hong Kong, all the Korean singers changed their outfits and people were talking about how if Saja Boys performed there, they would've been real psych****

6. This is the Republic of Seoul

7. Rest in peace

8. I understand that this is an important topic and reflects the bitter underbelly of society, but it makes me uncomfortable to see that a celebrity was blatantly thrown as bait to convey the message

9. Look at the level of that headline

Celebrities are easy targets, aren't they?

10. But this article isn't completely unwarranted isn't it?

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