China's Weibo Bans BTS Fan Account for Illegal Fundraising

An advertisement for K-pop boy band BTS in Seoul.Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
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Beijing (AP) -- Chinese social media platform Weibo banned a fan club of popular South Korean K-pop band BTS from posting for 60 days, saying it had raised funds illegally, days after photographs of a customized airplane funded by the fan club were posted online.

The fan club account, which had over 1.1 million followers on Weibo, was centered around BTS member Jimin. The restrictions imposed on the account came amid China’s campaign to clean up the entertainment industry and clamp down on “irrational behavior” exhibited by fans.