GOT7’s BamBam has shared a painful experience with racism from his early days in the industry.

On August 16, a video titled "BamBam: From Racism Stories to Criticisms on Dance Challenges" was released on the 1MILLION Dance Studio channel. In the video, BamBam opened up about his struggles after debuting.

He recalled, “During my trainee period, everything was fine. I was in the dorm with other foreigners, and the GOT7 members made it fun. I got good feedback for my assessments and attitude.”

However, his debut did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. BamBam shared, “I was young, and my skin was darker back then. I had chubby cheeks. People made hurtful comments like ‘If only he wasn’t here, it would be perfect’ and ‘Remove that Southeast Asian XX.’ Those words really hurt.”

He also mentioned, “Despite the pain, I used it as motivation to work harder. While I had many fans abroad, I didn’t have as many in Korea. But as I started my solo activities and appeared on variety shows, Korean fans began to recognize me. Things have definitely improved since then.”

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BTS member Jimin made history at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS, becoming the first solo artist ever to win the prestigious Visa Fan’s Choice of the Year award.

On November 22, Jimin was honored with the Fan’s Choice of the Year award at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS JAPAN, held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan. This marks a huge milestone in his career, especially considering his ongoing military service.

Jimin made history as the first solo artist to win the Fan’s Choice of the Year award, a category that BTS had dominated for six years since its debut in 2018.

In addition to this achievement, Jimin also took home the Fan’s Choice Grand Prize, making him a two-time winner at this year’s awards.

Although Jimin couldn't attend the ceremony due to his military service, his name was met with loud cheers from fans when announced.

His incredible win continues to prove his global influence as a solo artist. Jimin had also won Best Male Artist at the 2023 MAMA AWARDS, marking back-to-back wins at the event.

The MAMA AWARDS praised Jimin for his groundbreaking achievements, saying, “As the first K-pop solo artist to reach 4 billion streams and set the longest-running #1 record for a Korean artist, Jimin has proven his influence as a world-class artist and global pop star.”

Jimin's win also made him the first solo artist to claim a grand prize at the MAMA AWARDS in 10 years, with his achievement sparking excitement worldwide.

On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag “CONGRATULATIONS JIMIN” topped the trends, while “우리지민이상받았네” (Our Jimin Got the Award) reached the #1 spot in Korea.

Jimin’s ongoing success continues to shine even during his military service. He was also recently named Best K-pop at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and continues to be recognized for his charitable efforts, including a recent donation of 100 million KRW to the National Defense Soldier and Veteran Love Fund.

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