Jimmy Kimmel is the host of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! talk program on ABC in the United States. , has been accused of racism after comparing BTS, a South Korean boy band, to a fever.

He's the latest in a long line of comedians who have been chastised for utilizing a K-pop star as a punchline.
Kimmel spoke with Emily On Paris star Ashley Park in a recent show, a clip from which was shared to YouTube on January 21.

During their interview, Park revealed that she had a bodily reaction to BTS members sharing her in-show cover of their 2022 song Dynamite, which she initially mistook for severe shock, but she later tested positive for Covid-19.

In response, Kimmel said: “You thought it was BTS fever. They’re both very dangerous; you’re lucky to come out of those alive.”

The host's remark sparked outrage on social media, with many wondering how he could compare BTS to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed millions of people since 2019.

For the purpose of a joke, Kimmel is the latest comic and media personality to generate controversy by linking the South Korean act to the Covid-19 virus.

Given the surge in anti-Asian prejudice and violence, particularly in the United States, many people believe uttering such remarks is risky.

Following a tragic shooting spree targeting Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia, last year, BTS issued a statement condemning violence against Asians around the world. They released a statement in which they expressed their sorrow for those who had been wounded and their loved ones, as well as their personal experiences with racism.

“We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians,” they wrote. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English. We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason.”

In 2021, a German radio DJ and a Chilean comedy program were both charged of racism and xenophobia in relation to BTS, with humour being used as an explanation.

The recent incident attracted attention to other instances of Kimmel appearing to espouse anti-Asian language in the form of a comedy, including a 2013 skit in which he appeared to propose that America should "kill everyone in China," for which he later apologized.

“I come to you with nothing but love in my heart,” Kimmel explained at the time. “I’m a comedian; I was trying to make people laugh. I’m sorry that I did this.”

BTS made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the year 2017.