A news anchor at KCBD Fox34 in Lubbock, Texas, James Eppler, has ignited significant controversy and drawn strong condemnation from BTS's dedicated fanbase, ARMY, following a xenophobic joke he made during a segment about the K-pop group's new collaboration with Oreo cookies.

During the broadcast, Eppler initially explained the details of the limited-edition BTS Oreo cookies, noting their Hotteok flavor – a popular Korean street food described as a pancake stuffed with brown sugar and cinnamon, which BTS members have fond childhood memories of. He also highlighted that the cookies' wafers are BTS's signature purple color and are engraved with one of 13 designs that, when combined, are meant to spell out a message to fans. However, Eppler then interjected with what he intended as a humorous, yet deeply offensive, remark: "And that is: 'death to America,' which I think is really strange."

The comment, despite an immediate laugh from someone in the studio, was swiftly followed by Eppler's attempt to backtrack, stating, "no, it's not." Nevertheless, one of his co-anchors promptly challenged him, asking, "Why would you say that?" The damage, however, was already done.

As anticipated, this ill-conceived attempt at humor was met with furious anger from the fiercely loyal ARMY. Fans quickly flooded social media, reposting the video clip and expressing outrage over what they unequivocally deemed a racist and xenophobic comment. Comments ranged from direct accusations of racism, such as "JAMES EPPLER RACIST," to expressions of disbelief and calls for accountability, with one user stating, "Come on that is just not a right thing to say and he knows it. Even his co-hosts knows it," and another simply, "THIS IS NOT FUNNY."

ARMY members were particularly incensed, directing their demands towards the involved parties. They posted comments like: "I think @Oreo should ask @fox34 why they’re are attaching a vile message like that to the oreo brand on national TV. It’s defamatory and damaging to both your brand and your brand ambassadors," and "We respectfully ask @Oreo if their brand endorses this type of hateful and xenophobic comment; otherwise, we demand a response and an apology from @fox34." Another strong sentiment shared was: "James Eppler’s racist comment about BTS & Oreo collaboration is dangerous and incites hate toward BTS. Racism and xenophobia cannot be ignored. Hold him accountable publicly @fox34 @KCBD11 @TTU_CoMC This shouldn’t be taken lightly." At the time of reporting, spokespeople for BTS, Fox34, and Oreo's parent company, Mondelēz International, had not responded to Billboard’s requests for comment.

The collaboration itself, announced earlier in the week, features a limited-edition BTS Oreos brown sugar-pancake-flavored cookie, celebrating the group's 13th anniversary with 13 unique embossed messages. BTS expressed their honor in a statement, noting, "For Oreo to be the first snacking brand we’ve collaborated with globally is a huge honor. We ate them as kids, we eat them in the studio, and now OREO is helping us share a taste of home with the world. We’re just so proud to add our own chapter to OREO’s amazing story." The cookies are slated for presale starting June 1 and will be available at retailers from June 8, reaching over 80 global markets.

In related news, BTS is currently in the midst of a world tour supporting their chart-topping Billboard 200 album, Arirang. They are scheduled to perform their fourth show this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas before a brief break, followed by a pair of concerts at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, South Korea, on June 12-13.