On January 12 (Vietnam time), the 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony took place in the US, honoring the best films and television works.
The event marked a historic moment for Kpop - with Lisa (Blackpink) being assigned the responsibility of being one of the presenters, and Joshua (Seventeen) attending as the first male Kpop idol to be invited.
Wearing a sophisticated black vest and Chaumet jewelry, Joshua walked on the red carpet and participated in interviews with many international media outlets, including Billboard.
In one segment, he was asked how he felt about the animated film "Kpop Demon Hunters" (Kpop Demon Hunters). The reporter said, "Kpop has been a big phenomenon for a very long time, but this film seems to have completely changed the development trajectory of Kpop".
Answering the question, Joshua said: "I am really happy. The movie is opening new doors for Kpop. I can't believe it has been so successful." This seemingly supportive comment was met with many mixed reactions when shared on social networks.
The initial interview was posted on X with the caption emphasizing Joshua praising "Kpop Demon Hunters" for "changing the trajectory" of Kpop. However, the clip was later deleted and the video on YouTube was moved to private mode.
Many people believe that Joshua's statement ignored BTS's contributions in spreading Kpop, especially the global historical impacts that BTS created. From there, the Seventeen member was accused of having an attitude of disregarding or "disrespecting" BTS.
Some viewers pointed out that BTS has opened the global door to Kpop for a long time, and considering "Kpop Demon Hunters" as a turning point is subtle and not suitable for the context.
Conversely, fans stood up to defend Joshua, clarifying that he was talking about the meaning of the film in the field of global animation and cinema, not denying BTS's contribution, but emphasizing that the film represents new forms of Kpop's public adoption.
Currently, the matter continues to be a topic of debate online, one side calling on artists to express themselves more carefully in international interviews, while the other side believes that this reaction is overly exaggerated and lacks context.
Meanwhile, Netflix's "Kpop Demon Hunters" won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (for the song "Golden") at the 2026 Golden Globes.
