Hybe, the K-pop giant behind K-pop supergroup BTS, has dismissed speculation that a plan by the Seoul metropolitan government to illuminate major landmarks in red for the group's long-awaited comeback is politically motivated. The city government recently announced it would light 15 landmarks, including N Seoul Tower on Mount Nam, Lotte World Tower, the Sebitseom islands and Cheonggye Stream, in red on Friday and Saturday nights to celebrate the return of BTS. The decision prompted some fans and internet users to speculate that the move was intended to promote a specific political party ahead of the June local elections, as red is the symbolic color of the main opposition People Power Party, to which Mayor Oh Se-hoon belongs. "The red color theme was chosen to reflect the key visual identity of BTS' upcoming album 'Arirang,'" Hybe said in a statement Wednesday. "The Seoul city government is using the color at our request." The agency also urged the public not to excessively interpret mass cultural events through a political perspective. The statement came after a flood of online posts eme