Pop royalty BTS has returned to the Rockefeller Center in New York, marking their first group appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in years. The highly-coveted reunion, which entertained millions online and on stage, however, behind the scenes, the event failed to run as swimmingly as it should have. While the K-pop phenomenon is no stranger to facing xenophobia overseas, things have taken a sour turn once again, as the psychological attack is reportedly now on ARMYs, their global fandom.

Owing to the mistreatment the fans faced during the show's taping, countless users on social media are abuzz seeking an apology. But it was more than a racist joke that caused the mass outrage.

During the taping of the BTS episode on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the warm-up MC, Seth Herzog's xenophobic joke, not only marred the audience's celebratory mood at the event, but it later developed into an online dispute. Alongside accusing Herzog of making a racist joke about the septet, several attendees spoke out on X about feeling mistreated and racially profiled backstage.

Herzog allegedly asked the audience which one of the BTS members came from North Korea, despite the political sensitivity surrounding the situation. The controversy quickly spread across social media, with ARMYs demanding a public apology from the show and accountability from the production team. Meanwhile, some users on X expressed their own exhaustive and psychologically draining experiences at the show's Guggenheim Museum tapings of the group's secret performance.

Mass outrage due to the mistreatment they received from Jimmy Fallon's management has led to a deluge of tweets demanding an apology. While the arguably biggest pop group performed their new songs as a part of their comeback promotional activities, some of their fans were enranged on allegedly being segregated backstage, for Fallon's staff to pick who got to see the septet live based on biased judgment. However, the show has not officially addressed any of the allegations.

The controversy has sparked a wider conversation about racism and how Asian artists, as well as their fans, especially female fans, are mistreated in Western media. The 'Aliens' hitmakers have appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show multiple times, maintaining a friendly relationship with the host, which is why many fans said they felt particularly disappointed by the incident.

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With the backlash taking a shape of its own, all eyes are at the man at the centre of the storm and his alleged apology.

Reports from TMZ about the incident indicated that Seth Herzog made an apology to BTS after the backlash, while network executives talked with him about the events that had occurred. According to the outlet, Herzog's joke was meant to ask where they came from during an interactive segment of his set. However, ARMY demanded that the show make a public announcement, considering the private apology to be insufficient.

Some users on X, such as @kirbyforkoo, have even pulled up Herzog's old racist tweets against Asians and actress Zoe Saldaña, from his account @Thezog, to prove their point. However, as soon as the controversy surfaced, the MC chose to go private on both X and Instagram. Meanwhile, this is not the first time a talk show has gotten into hot water with BTS's ARMY, as James Corden had previously apologized live on his show for demeaning the fandom. 

Several ARMYs on X called out the show for disparaging Korean history and belittling the global achievements of the group, especially when the group brought an album like 'ARIRANG' in the US to promote. Their album not only roots itself in their nation's heritage, but also signifies a new beginning for the artists after their return from serving in their nation's military. With March 25-26, 2026, being a special two-night event for BTS on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, before their Netflix documentary, a resolution of the issue could follow suit immediately after; however, no official apology has been issued yet.

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What are your thoughts on the Jimmy Fallon show controversy? Let us know in the comments.