Do we like them?

Do we like RM?

Our score: 7 out of 10. A decent record and plenty of giving, held back by one contested call this year and a thin record on LGBTQ+ issues.

RM, born Kim Nam-joon, is the leader of BTS. In June 2026 the National Museum of Korea named him its first global ambassador, tasked with promoting Korean cultural heritage abroad. I couldn't read a solid backstory page for this card, so I'll stick to what the reporting I did read backs up.

A week later The Pixel Project, a volunteer-run group campaigning against violence against women, removed him from its male role models list. Its line was “Effective today, we are indefinitely suspending RM from our list of male role models.” Reports say the group had been waiting for a public statement from him, and that none had come as of late August. Fans are split on whether one photo should outweigh his earlier record.

There's also a smaller one from April. Japanese weekly Shukan Bunshun alleged he smoked in no-smoking areas in Shibuya and left cigarette butts behind, with a staff member reportedly cleaning up. Korea Times noted that his agency had issued no official statement, and fans were split between privacy and respecting local rules. It's a single magazine's allegation, so treat it as unproven.

On the harm test, nothing in what I read shows RM pushing hatred or conspiracies. In 2023 he faced online accusations of Islamophobia after recommending a Frank Ocean song. He denied it on Weverse, saying he held deep respect for all faiths, and refused to apologise. At the 2021 UN event, BTS pushed for protecting the planet and gender equality, and RM said “Every choice we make is the beginning of change, not the end.” The gap is that I found no strong firsthand statement from him on trans or LGBTQ+ rights.

The real good stuff is substantial. For his 30th birthday in 2024 he pledged 100 million won to a veterans' project, and reports show a run of other donations to hospitals, museums and music education. The museum ambassador job in 2026 fits the same pattern of putting his money and fame into causes beyond himself.

Put together, he's a good egg who made a poor call this August and has been quiet about it. The Brown photo isn't hate, and it isn't a pattern, but it undercuts the allyship fans have long credited him with. A clear statement from him would settle it, and we'd be happy to move him up if it comes.