SEOUL • BTS' career has been in fast-forward mode but some fans are now pressing the "pause" button.

They are upset that the South Korean boy band have scheduled a concert on Oct 11 in Saudi Arabia - a country, which, in their opinion, does not treat women fairly and is not strong on human rights.

BTS are said to be the first solo foreign act to hold a stadium concert in the country, as part of their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour, noted the allkpop portal.

"BTS are lending them (the Saudi government) their legitimacy, all in the name of cash," one netizen blasted.

Others asked if BTS' agency had made a rare mistake given that its strategy to make the boy band a dominant global player has worked well so far.

But some fans feel that the concert will allow BTS, who are United Nations' Goodwill Ambassadors, to help speed up the pace of reform in Saudi Arabia where the authorities are loosening restrictions.

The fans also feel that music should not be politicised, even if American rapper Nicki Minaj recently bowed out from performing in Saudi Arabia, to signal her support for women's rights.