BTS billboard removed for allegedly ‘promoting homosexuality’ in Pakistan

‘There are young people in this city. This group has a negative influence on them and encourages them to behave in wrong activities,’ a Pakistani official said

A billboard for the South Korean boy band BTS’s Jeon Jungkook was removed in Pakistan’s city of Gujranwala for allegedly “promoting homosexuality”.

The billboard was purchased by some fans for two days for the 24-year-old pop star’s birthday celebration on 1 September with the permission of the Chamber of Commerce.

“Happy 24th Birthday,” the billboard read alongside a giant image of the singer wearing a black and white suit. “Jungkook BTS Gujranwala Army.”

However, the owner of the bulletin was forced to take it down after receiving a complaint from a local member of the legislative assembly.

“We received a lot of complaints from people. There was so much commotion,” assembly candidate Furqan Aziz Butt told VICE World News. “There are young people in this city. This group has a negative influence on them and encourages them to behave in wrong activities. They promote homosexuality.”

“Why was this put up here?” he questioned, adding: “They don’t have a brand name here nor do they sell products here. The people who put it up call themselves the Gujranwala army. There’s only the Pakistan army here.”

This isn’t the first time BTS has come under fire for “promoting homosexuality”.

Earlier this year, a Russian printing shop refused to print pictures of the band for a cafe because they didn’t want “children to become perverts”.

The removal of the billboard in Pakistan has sparked outrage among the BTS Army.

“Pakistani Army!! A billboard of Jungkook in Gujranwala was taken off today because some people said it is promoting homosexuality... let's tell these m************ that how much we love jungkook and BTS and lets trend these hashtags,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

Another person wrote: “I’m super confused... How in the world does that say homosexuality? Someone needs to explain that explicitly. If you’re incredibly good-looking does that mean you’re homosexual now? I’m super confused.”