(image: Korea Bizwire)
BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The Chinese social media platform Weibo has banned 21 fan club accounts of South Korean celebrities, including one for the chart-topping K-pop sensation BTS, as Beijing attempts to tighten its grip on entertainment and culture industries.
Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, has imposed 30-day suspensions on 21 accounts belonging to fan clubs of such acts as BTS, IU and NCT.
The list also included fan clubs of individual members of groups such as BLACKPINK, Red Velvet and Girls’ Generation, Chinese media reported Monday.
Weibo has also deleted content that prompted suspension.
In addition, an account for fans of a BTS member, Jimin, was slapped with a 60-day ban, after photos of a customized airplane emblazoned with images of the singer circulated online last week.
Chinese fans had raised money to customize the Jeju Air plane to celebrate Jimin’s birthday in October.
Weibo accused the account of raising funds illegally and added it was opposed to “such irrational star-chasing behavior.”
The Chinese Communist Party recently announced measures to rein in celebrity worship and fan club culture, banning minors from spending money in support of their idols, for instance.
(Yonhap)
