Weibo suspends 22 K-pop fan accounts

Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, has suspended 22 K-pop fan accounts, citing their obsession with celebrities as the reason.

Out of the 22 accounts, 21 were suspended for 30 days for “irrational star-chasing” while one was suspended for 60 days for fundraising illegally, The Associated Press reported.

The account suspended for 60 days was a fan account for South Korean K-pop band BTS. It has more than 1.1 million followers on the platform.

Weibo said in a statement that the account illegally raised funds to customize an airplane for BTS member Jimin before his 26th birthday in October, according to the AP.

“Weibo firmly opposes such irrational star-chasing behavior and will deal with it seriously,” the social media platform said.

The 21 other accounts that got banned were also focused on K-pop celebrities.

The crackdown by Weibo over celebrity fan accounts comes after China announced new guidelines for the entertainment industry as the government feels it has been “severely polluting the social atmosphere.”

Two Chinese government agencies earlier this week published guidelines that stated that celebrities who are vulgar or “feminine-looking men” will no longer be allowed to be broadcasted because they do not portray the values the country wants to promote. 

Chinese celebrities have long been told to go along with the country’s party platform. More than 30 celebrities in the country have ending partnerships with brands that have spoken out about their concerns for ethnic minorities in China being forced into work camps, according to the AP. 

Chinese pop star Lu Han recently ended a partnership with a luxury watch brand after the company’s CEO referred to Taiwan as its own country.