K-pop hitmaker SEVENTEEN was recently subjected to racist remarks, according to fans. The group is currently touring North America for their BE THE SUN world tour and was in Chicago, enjoying the local culture.They were spotted playing basketball with locals, who fans claimed were high school students. Fans initially fawned over the members of the group playing with other locals, even commenting on how envious they were. Soon after, they were outraged to learn that the same people had made racist remarks about the K-pop group.felicity@the_f3licityseventeen was playing basketball with these random high school boys and they’ve actually been trying to interact more with locals at every location at their stops, and the people they played bball with posted these stories on their insta making extremely racist comments andq1081299seventeen was playing basketball with these random high school boys and they’ve actually been trying to interact more with locals at every location at their stops, and the people they played bball with posted these stories on their insta making extremely racist comments andq https://t.co/hggSWyMc4gThe alleged high-schoolers called SEVENTEEN “fake BTS,” “chinese BTS members,” and even called one member “namjoon.”These remarks were troubling because they imply that all K-pop idols look the same. Such hateful remarks reduce an individual's identity to a stereotypical, often derogatory connotation.Additionally, one local even tagged his friends and said that they “touched their (SEVENTEEN members’) sweaty Korean bodies.” CARATs, who had been gushing over the Face the Sun creators after seeing them play, turned around and trashed the boys. They also created a template document with proof and requested that other fans mass-email PLEDIS Entertainment.SEVENTEEN’s playful basketball game with US locals takes a negative turnboo@MultoSaPledis@heartIixie don't give clout to them, weirdos841387@heartIixie don't give clout to them, weirdos https://t.co/EN17xwVWWDSEVENTEEN, who has sold multiple million albums and continues to wear the crown of the most versatile K-pop group, does not shy away from experiencing different cultures. While on their BE THE SUN world tour, talk in the CARAT fandom has been that the members play basketball with the locals and even offer them free concert tickets.Mingyu, Seungkwan, The8, and a few other members, as well as some staff members, recently participated in a basketball game with some teenagers, which resulted in them being insulted. The first two even posted photos of themselves on the basketball court, which fans adored.SEVENTEEN is not the best at sports, so it was not a surprise for fans that the locals beat the members. They joked that the K-pop idols had given them the "privilege of absolutely shitting on them."The next batch of comments were the ones that angered fans.CARATs called out xenophobia and racism in the comments and replies, but the locals insisted on calling the group members names and being hateful. SEVENTEEN were repeatedly referred to as "fake a** BTS knock offs" and "lowkey some dogs**t" by the high schoolers.☆@the8th_starim going to explode485109im going to explode https://t.co/jdjdyCffnosvt’s profesional blunt roller™@hoshisbestiethose kids who played basketball with svt are continuing to be racist and they they’re exposing their location and threatening them. they also said the n word. anyway here are their igs15377those kids who played basketball with svt are continuing to be racist and they they’re exposing their location and threatening them. they also said the n word. anyway here are their igs https://t.co/cmxRC4M9npsvt’s profesional blunt roller™@hoshisbestieaaaanddd here’s them saying the n word and then laughing about it44aaaanddd here’s them saying the n word and then laughing about it https://t.co/Fj6gxQP1QqFans were more infuriated when they found out that the K-pop group had replied to one of the local’s Instagram stories. The local posted a video of them playing on the basketball court and tagged the HOT group, to which the group replied:“Yoo fun playing with you guys”The story that the K-pop group replied to (Image via Twitter/MultoSaPledis)Fans took to Twitter to alert others about the locals' social media accounts, urging them to report and block them, while others mass-emailed PLEDIS Entertainment, urging them to take legal action in response to the racist abuse.mei@rappercoupshi carats here’s a mass email template you can send to protect@pledis.co.kr docs.google.com/file/d/1ET6P9l…507553hi carats here’s a mass email template you can send to protect@pledis.co.kr docs.google.com/file/d/1ET6P9l…Some fans mentioned that the group would give out free concert tickets in order to foster camaraderie, though it was unclear whether the locals in question received them or not. The prospect of locals obtaining concert tickets for the Ready to Love group heightened their rage.🦋millie♡🩺 °@svtbestsactually thought that seventeen playing basketball w locals so cute and wholesome not until i saw the guys actual ig full of weird embarrassing racist stories trashing the boys i felt so sorry for svt64751116actually thought that seventeen playing basketball w locals so cute and wholesome not until i saw the guys actual ig full of weird embarrassing racist stories trashing the boys 😭 i felt so sorry for svtkenna saw svt@mingyusvlogall over a basketball game like this is not the nba and there’s no excuse to be racist19all over a basketball game like this is not the nba and there’s no excuse to be racist..@jenrangdanthey first met at the basketball court & next time they meet it's gonna be in a COURT room bc they knows their faces n pledis takes legal actions towards malicious comments abt svt twitter.com/the8th_star/st…☆@the8th_starim going to explode21109im going to explode https://t.co/jdjdyCffnothey first met at the basketball court & next time they meet it's gonna be in a COURT room bc they knows their faces n pledis takes legal actions towards malicious comments abt svt twitter.com/the8th_star/st…tori ☼ 🍂@hrtcoups@bootiful1998 Svt played basketball ysterday and random group of ppl (which turns out to be kids) wants to join in with them and they played tgt then theyre mad af for losing the game and posted pics and vids on their ig accs and being racist towards svt18336@bootiful1998 Svt played basketball ysterday and random group of ppl (which turns out to be kids) wants to join in with them and they played tgt then theyre mad af for losing the game and posted pics and vids on their ig accs and being racist towards svtFans can only hope that the SEVENTEEN members continue to enjoy the local culture and aren't subjected to hatred in any capacity in the future.