British internet personality Oli London publicly apologized to BTS’ Jimin and the whole Asian community concerning their past obsessive behavior. In a YouTube video and an open letter they released on August 29, London recalled past experiences that led to their actions and pledged to improve as a person.
In the letter, London recalled how they used to get bullied for their appearance and how it made them dissociate from people. “This caused me to withdraw from society, to feel isolated and to feel like an alien”, they wrote. But through their encounter with the K-Pop and Korean culture, they shared how they found “solace and happiness”.
As a result, London shared that they became “overly obsessed” with the K-Pop boy group BTS member Jimin. It can be recalled that they previously gained public attention for spending around Php 5.3 million for plastic surgery to look like Jimin.
After undergoing therapy and receiving mental health medication, London added that they already realized that what they did was “WRONG and UNHEALTHY”. “So I apologize wholeheartedly to Jimin, to BTS, to Army, and all the Asian community who may have found my obsession ‘too much’, ‘creepy’ or ‘unhealthy’”, they said and promised to “change as a person”.
Another action that made London a trending topic was when they identified as a “non-binary Korean”. Along with this and other related acts that the public found rather absurd came criticisms labeling them as a racist and cultural appropriator. To address this, they denied meaning to perpetuate such accusations and wrote that they “love and appreciate all human beings equally and [they] will always strive to be a champion for the Korean and Asian community.”
At the end of the letter, they again apologized to the people involved, especially Jimin, and pledged to do better.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Non-binary Korean: British influencer Oli London ‘comes out’ as ethnicity
BTS fan shares thoughts on ‘Jimin superfan’ Oli London from another point of view
