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He compared the South Korean boy band BTS with the coronavirus and called the internationally successful musicians disparagingly "little pissers": There are accusations of racism against Bayern 3 presenter Matthias Matuschik on the Internet.
The radio host apologized on Friday, as did his broadcaster.
He was very dismayed by the reactions, said Matuschik on Friday in Munich.
"I am very sorry and I would like to sincerely apologize."
His moderation was "completely wrong".
He “understand and accept that I may have racially insulted many of you, especially the Asian community, with my words.
That was never my intention, but I know that in the end it is how the words are received by the recipients - and not how they were meant. "
The Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) stood behind the moderator, also known as "Matuschke", but at the same time announced a review.
"It is not acceptable what words he used to express himself about the band BTS," said Bayern 3 on Friday afternoon. "If statements are perceived by many people as offensive or racist, then they were too."
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The reason for the allegations was the moderation in his live broadcast on Wednesday about a South Korean band.
“Matuschke” was negative about the successful pop band BTS.
It was "like some fucking virus, against which there will hopefully also be a vaccination soon," the moderator drew the comparison to the corona virus.
Matuschik continued to speak furiously.
It was "paradoxical" that the broadcaster MTV wanted to record an unplugged concert with the band.
"Then these little pissers also brag that they covered 'Fix You' from Coldplay," he said.
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This is "blasphemy" and "outrage", and that is what he says as an atheist: "For this you will be on vacation in North Korea for the next 20 years."
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BTS fans, however, felt Matuschik's remarks rather than blasphemy.
After a young German Twitter user named Leni posted an excerpt from the tirade and immediately commented on it with “Racism!”, A worldwide wave of outrage began.
She switched on fan groups like “Armys Unite Germany BTS”, Matuschik was described by a user as a “dirty bastard”, a girl put Matuschik's comments in a complaint email in the context of the Hanau attack a year ago.
Then the cause reached the Korean Twitter sphere.
By Friday noon, around 1.2 million tweets had been posted on Twitter under the hashtag # Bayern3Racist, and even the media in Indonesia reported on the case.
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The broadcaster Bayern 3 previously apologized for the moderator's statements, but also defended him.
In a statement quoted by the online network “Der Westen”, it says: “In the program 'Matuschke - the slightly different evening', presenter Matthias Matuschik gave his personal opinion on the very successful South Korean band BTS and their cover of the Coldplay song 'Fix You' at their Unplugged concert and many of you have complained about it.
It is the character of this program and also of the moderator to express his opinion clearly, openly and without make-up. "
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Matuschik had gone too far in attempting to present his opinion "ironically, exaggerated and with exaggerated excitement".
He "hurt the feelings of the BTS fans".
He didn't intend to do this, just wanted to express his displeasure with the cover version mentioned above.
It is a personal opinion that has nothing to do with the band's cultural background.
The broadcaster refers to the moderator's commitment to helping refugees and against right-wing extremism.
Xenophobia and racism are far from him.
Matthias Matuschik in 2016
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Ordercrazy / Public Domain / Wikipedia User: Ordercrazy
Matuschik answered a request from “Buzzfeed” on Thursday night as follows: “I would have been upset with a German or Trans-Castan band just as (artificially, as it is my style)”.
He had "underestimated the huge fan potential behind the three letters [BTS]." Their fans are a "fanatical following of a musical cash machine" who would twist his statements.
Unpacking the “currently very popular racism club” for his statements was “out of place”.
"K-Pop" bands are sometimes more successful than the biggest western stars.
BTS - short for Bangtan Sonyeondan (translated: "Bulletproof Boy Scouts") - was the first K-pop group to make it to number one on the charts in the USA and Great Britain, concerts in Europe were before the corona pandemic within Minutes sold out.
According to Forbes, BTS and Exo, another band, are mentioned 20 times as often on Twitter as Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
And not only from fans from their own country, but above all from followers from Japan, Europe and the USA.