BTS J-Hope’s printed shirt in Instagram post causes a stir among netizens

With 20.3 million followers currently, BTS’ J-Hope has many eyes watching his every single move on Instagram. On December 8, the rapper posted a vintage-filtered photo of himself wearing a printed shirt. While it looked like a harmless esthetic at first glance, fans discovered the shirt is from a collaboration between fashion retailer END and an often "controversial" brand, Pleasures.

What makes the shirt controversial for the BTS member J-Hope? The printed shirt is from a collection that advocates safe se*.

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BTS’ rapper J-hope receives mixed reactions from netizens with his printed shirt

Social media was abuzz with criticism and praise for BTS’ J-Hope after uploading a cool photo on Instagram. As BTS members are known for their Midas touch, ARMYs soon discovered the rapper's shirt. The blue and white shaded shirt with con*oms printed on them is the Protection Button Down Shirt from British retailer END created for a fashion brand called Pleasures.

Pleasures was created by designer Alex James, aiming to inform people about safe se* with their subtle aesthetic designs. Wearing a shirt with con*oms printed everywhere led to a backlash for the BTS member, especially by Korean netizens. Comments such as “I’m so embarrassed”, “f*cking disappointing” popped up in online communities.

Comments criticizing BT' J-Hope (Screenshot from Pann-Choa Blogpost)

There were also multiple positive comments defending J-Hope. If not explicitly, through their clothing and accessories, K-pop idols communicate and spread knowledge regarding social causes they believe in, such as ATEEZ’s Hongjoong partaking in the Polished Man campaign by painting only one fingernail.

Fans and netizens rose up in herds sharing how, in a way, revolutionary it was for a K-pop idol to wear clothes that open discussions for se*. It is more important because of the conservative culture of South Korea, especially the entertainment industry where men and women can’t even freely communicate with each other despite being friends or growing up together.

Even in the past, J-Hope has advocated for good causes, sometimes in secret and sometimes sharing them wholeheartedly with his huge fandom. From wearing a shirt from a charity called Freevolt and a breast cancer awareness t-shirt to sharing his glass beads with Monkeybiz, an organization that helps South African women become financially independent.

Meanwhile, the BTS rapper informed fans that he’s on a flight back to his home country on December 9 through his Instagram story.