US Biden to Meet BTS at White House... Discussing 'Anti-Asian Hate Crimes'

BTS and Biden to Meet at the White House on the 31st to Discuss 'Hate Crimes'
US President's Invitation of Individual Music Group to the White House Is Unprecedented

The group BTS attended the red carpet event ahead of the 64th Grammy Awards held on April 3 (local time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA, posing for photos. Photo by BigHit Music [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss 'anti-Asian hate crimes.'

According to the White House on the 26th (local time), President Biden will meet BTS at the White House on the 31st to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

The White House stated, "BTS, a global K-pop phenomenon and Grammy nominee from Korea, will join President Biden to discuss Asian inclusion and representation, as well as address the increasingly prominent issues of anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination in recent years."

The White House explained, "President Biden has previously spoken about his commitment to combating the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes," adding, "In May 2021, he signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to provide law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and to improve access to hate crime information." It also added, "President Biden and BTS will discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS's platform as youth ambassadors spreading messages of hope and positivity worldwide."

It is unusual for a U.S. president to invite an individual music group to the White House.

Some interpret this as a warning against the ongoing racial hate crimes in the U.S. Recently, on the 14th, at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, an 18-year-old white supremacist named Payton Gendron opened fire, killing 10 Black people.

In response, President Biden visited the Buffalo tragedy site on the 17th and emphasized, "I promise that evil will not prevail in America. Hate will not win. And white supremacists will ultimately not win." He continued, "It is time for people of all races from different backgrounds to raise their voices as the majority and as Americans to reject white supremacy," adding, "These attacks represent the views of a hateful minority."