Thread by @gmcantave1

Yall this is ugly business... a whole lot was said in the video and the conversation about the boys start at 35:17 and it's about the new insane articles talking about the boys not getting paid for their diplomatic duty. The guest is the blue house's protocol secretary+

https://twitter.com/riingonouta/status/1444558166759337988

Yall would've seen it on the TL. She starts by saying "this is about the reports that came out yesterday saying that BTS wasn't paid by the blue house for their appearances and those reports caused "outrage" saying things like the boys are victims of "passion pay" but there was+

News also that there was a contract written for their appearances but that the boys were basically made to go to extra events that weren't on the contract. There's so much back and forth going on that we thought it would be best to get the answers directly from the house+

Secretary of protocol, Mr Tak Hyun Min".

Mr Tak got on the line ( it seems like the poor man is having trouble sleeping because of this mess and his anger, and frustration at this ridiculous news). Mr Tak says that the allegations were wrong and that BTS and Hybe/big hit+

Didn't say anything about not getting paid so where the hell are they getting this information! The people in question aren't saying that so why the f*ck are these people talking?! (I'm paraphrasing btw) on top of that he says there's a contract and everything went smoothly+

With what proof are they coming out and telling these obvious lies! He says I just can't understand! (This man sounds done yall).
The host said according to the reports: they had asked the ministry of culture, sports and tourism and they asked the ministry of foreign affairs+

For proof of payment and apparently there was no record of what was paid" Mr Tak said first of all they ate asking the wrong agency for "records" because these ministries do not foot those types of bills, this is usually through the agency of overseas cultural promotion (not +

Too clear on if I translated that correctly or not 😭). He said I dont know why they did this stupid thing but it's pretty stupid move. It's like asking the ministry of economy and finance, when and where the ministry of environment spent their budget?! If they wanted to know+

Exactly the contents of the agreement and the amount paid they should go directly to the parties involved like BTS and big hit and asked them Whether or not they received the money and what was discussed or not." The host asked of he could tell her exactly how much was the fee+

Agreed upon? Mr Tak said : "I know it already came out in the media but it's around 700 million won (approximately 591000 USD so basically over half a million)". THE Host says: " so we have now established that this wasn't a passion pay situation as stated in the original +

Article/report?" Mr Tak says: "you can verify this as much as you want" (I ddnt hear the next part clear enough). And then he added: "furthermore the BTS members said they didn't even want to accept/recieve not even a cent for this. They said they didnt want to receive anything"+

He said furthermore the money that they gave the boys doesn't cover any real expenses for the boys, and that's without considering the real appearance fee/the boys normal fre for these types of promotion which falls in the billions of won. So basically the boys really did them +

A favor. This fee they got paid is legit nothing and this was accepted because they insisted. Mr Tak said they felt that this fee was the very bare minimum as the boys did travel and took their time to do this as presidential envoys. He said they literally had to force them to +

Take the money because they felt it would've been too ashamed not to give them something at least. Mr Tak continues to say that the fact that they took this and made up this story, which undermines these boys intentions and efforts is a truly a horrible thing! +

Then the host says: "but there's also a follow-up report that said that in the contract only the cost for the UN headquarters event in New York on the 18th and 19th is stated but from the 20th to the 22nd BTS were again ordered to attend by the president and the first lady which+

These dates were not in the contract" (the host was reading from the report btw) and to that Mr Tak replies: " I truly think this way of thinking/phrasing this is pathetic, do you really think BTS is the kind of artist that can be ordered to go and go Mrs Kim hyun-Jeong?"+

"Do you really think they're at a level where whoever it is can tell them to do this or that?" He continues to say: " The truth is at this point NOBODY can make them do or order them to do anything they don't wanna do, they are beyond Korea, These boys are world class artists"+

The host asks: "Even if it's the president?" Mr Tak replies: "It's the same for the president, if BTS said they didn't want to go to the UN, they wouldn't have gone." PERIODT! He says this narrative in the media that the govt could force the boys to do something through some +

Kind of order is honestly ridiculous. This kind of mindset is of using political or media power to make artists come and go seems to be where their head is still at." Mr Tak continues to clarify about the events on the 20th to the 22nd where the boys visited different art +

Exhibits with the first lady. He says this is not something they would've even needed a contract for as it is included in their duty as presidential envoys. He says what kind of contract would they have even signed for these events?! It's ridiculous?!. The hosts says: "so it's +

All included in the original contract?" And Mr Tak says: "Even the word "included" here doesn't fit because we didn't even give them appropriate compensation as I mentioned earlier. Why? Think about the time they dedicated to this trip in terms of time? We would have to pay+

Billions." The host also brings up the event that happened in Paris where the boys attended in 2018 because the articles also said that the boys were made to come again without pay . And Mr Tak explains that BTS also came to that event and didn't accept any pay for that+

And insisted they would not so they appeared for free at that event. They basically had some free time in between concerts and used that to come since they were also already in Paris at the time. They had wanted to give the boys money but the boys refused saying they would do+

If it would help Korea and they just basically did that in the middle of their tour and they were thankful to the boys. He also ask: "are they supposed to get cursed at for not taking/get money for this or are we supposed to get cursed at cuz we didn't give them money?" That+

They didn't want to take in the first place! MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! The hosts says: some people could be outraged because they are thinking: "isn't it that they are using BTS too much to make presidents image look good?" And Mr Tak keeps reiterating: This is what's making me angry+

More is this thought that BTS are the kind of artists at a level to be USED!" He says the boys made the decision to go because they came to the conclusion that they wanted to help and so they did it and he also says this whole project also is something they were planing since +

Last year too. This is not some off the fly proposal.

So this hosts says: " this whole constant controversy it seems was created to downplay BTS position and sense of agency and power basically undermining them which it seems you find unfortunate?"

Mr Tak says in response+

That it's not only sad that the media hasn't even touched on the amazing results of BTS participating in the UN or what they were able to do there but that they are using to these ridiculous and senseless controversies to also undermine the boys and in a way SK's image+

And it gives me feeling of despair really. Then the host says BTS address and appearance in the UN was a hit and asks who's idea it was to issue the invite to them. Mr Tak replies it was a joint effort and that they had been planning this since last winter. And they had +

Carefully considered many aspects but they never imagined that BTS or That the Korean government would be receiving criticism and outrage over a question of who got paid what or who didn't pay what?. The host asked about the boys reactions when they got asked to participate+

And Mr Tak says the boys were very earnest and very on board with the whole thing putting in time and effort to make sure everything would go well and they would get the best results, refusing to be paid and determined to do their best regardless, absorbing most of the costs +

For the schedules themselves. He says the boys also called Yesterday after seeing the scandal/reports and reactions saying how sad and bad they felt that the result of their effort was this mess! 😢 and they Also asked them to explain actively about what exactly the situation+

And the events were that led to their decision to attend and take on the UN and the presidential envoys task. And Mr Tak also urges and say they should ask the boys what they feel , whether or not they were forced, or whether or not they got paid or regretted anything+

At the point the boys are sad that their hard work and effort came to this controversy. That's where the whole conversation about the boys stopped.+

PS: I tried my best to include everything they spoke about but there was a lot of paraphrasing and summarizing and I think some stuff got lost in translation (I'm not too good at this). Bora is currently also translating this more accurately and might post it later on. 💜

The way I see it. The media, antis and mantis need to stop speaking over the boys and try actually fact checking and listening to the boys more. This is truly sad and angering