“Just leave them alone“— Fans defend BTS’ J-Hope as his LA wildfire condolence letter sparks criticism online

BTS’ J-Hope is under hot waters as netizens are divided over his recent condolence post on Weverse about the Los Angeles wildfire tragedy. On January 7, 2025, California was hit by a massive wildfire that burnt thousands of houses. As per a Reuters report on January 9, 2025, the fire has consumed over 34,000 acres and is listed as the most destructive natural disaster in LA's history.

On January 10, 2025, J-Hope of BTS took to Weverse, offering his condolences to the people affected by the tragedy via a letter. However, this was met with backlash by netizens who have shown their support for Palestine in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

The netizens have shown their disappointment as J-Hope has not yet made a statement regarding the airstrikes in Gaza City. They expressed their frustration as the singer took the time to speak about the situation in Los Angeles but did not speak about the reported oppression by Israel in Palestine.

Meanwhile, fans defended the K-pop idol, criticizing those who compared the two situations. Some fans explained that the BTS member expressed his solace with the people in Los Angeles as he recently announced an upcoming concert in the city.

"boycotters in qrts who is stopping u to unstan them man just leave them alone," one fan said.

“Of course he’s going to talk about it after announcing dates for a concert he’s not even sure he’ll be able to do in a city that is literally burning as we speak. what part of “i hope that we can all meet safely and in good health” did y’all not understand?,” a fan added.

"The qrts being odd asf….he announced tour dates in LA TODAY of course he made a statement yall need to stop with constantly nitpicking whatever they do and turning it into a “they’re performative” narrative,” a user stated

On the other hand, some people expressed their disappointment and criticized J-Hope for not speaking up about Palestine.

“Alright, I'm going to do it. I'm going to ask why @BTS_twt hasn’t spoken about Palestine yet. the images coming out of Palisades today aren't any different from what comes out of Palestine every fu**ing week, when they drop bombs on camps full of living humans. what's the holdup?,” a user commented

“It’s very frustrating seeing how fast people rally behind Californians when for over a year we’ve been trying to get people to just show any empathy towards their palestinian suffering….,” a netizen said.

“And not a single word for Palestine????,” another person said.

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"Sending my deepest condolences"— BTS's J-Hope pens a letter following the wildfire tragedy

On January 10, 2025, BTS’ J-Hope posted a letter on Weverse expressing his condolences on the recent Los Angeles wildfire tragedy. He stated that he was saddened by the news that the wildfire had harmed many people in the city.

As he is set to perform in Los Angeles as a solo artist in April, he said he wishes to meet his fans in a safe environment.

“I feel very saddened and very worried after hearing the news that the harm from the wildfires in California is very severe. I hope that we can all meet safely and in good health. Sending my deepest condolences to the Los Angeles community and those who have lost their homes and loved ones. Please stay safe,” his letter read.

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On the same day, J-Hope’s agency, BIGHIT MUSIC, announced the HOPE ON THE STAGE solo tour. The tour will take place in American and Asian cities starting from Seoul on February 28, 2025.

Los Angeles is also part of the BTS rapper's upcoming solo tour. He is scheduled to perform in LA's BMO Stadium on April 4 and 6, 2025.