Seoul this week marks the 10th anniversary of BTS, the star group that popularized K-pop around the world and brought billions of dollars to South Korea’s economy.
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Dubbed “icons of progressive globalism,” these artists have also acted as presidential emissaries or even promoted UNICEF’s actions.
Here’s everything you need to know about BTS.
Debuting on June 13, 2013, the group of seven young men became the first South Korean band to dominate the US and UK music charts and raked in billions of dollars by building a global fan base known as “ARMY”.
South Korean hits like Psy’s “Gangnam Style” have certainly had international success, but it’s widely acknowledged that BTS brought K-pop into mainstream American culture and established themselves as one of the most influential boy bands in the world.
“As a South Korean idol group, BTS has overcome many misunderstandings and obstacles in the industry. [musicale] “I want to get to the top of the music charts and be nominated for the Grammy Awards,” Jeff Benjamin, head of Billboard magazine’s K-pop section, told AFP.
“Most importantly, they have achieved this not by adapting their viewpoints, perspectives or language to appeal to a larger market, but by fully asserting themselves as the K-pop musicians they are .”
Outside of music, the band has a long history of supporting progressive causes, from the Black Lives Matter protests to the fight against anti-Asian racism in the United States.
Its members have spoken at the United Nations and been received at the White House, while remaining one of the most popular groups in the world on social media.
Before BTS, K-pop was considered “as…” [phénomène] Niche, separate from international culture,” Sarah Keith, media and music specialist at Macquarie University in Australia, told AFP.
“The global popularity of BTS has reversed that perspective. It’s safe to say that BTS changed the way the world sees South Korea.”
Paradoxically, the training is currently on hiatus while two of its members do their military service after years of debate over possible exemption. Jin, the eldest of the group, enlisted in December, J-Hope in April.
To mark its anniversary, however, BTS released a single, Take Two, last week as a nod to the new chapter that begins after a productive decade. “Each of the seven members participated in Take Two,” her agency Hybe said. “The song expresses her gratitude to ARMY for all the love that is being showered on them.”
Famous landmarks in Seoul, such as the Namsan Tower or the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, are illuminated in purple, the color of the ARMY, for the occasion.
RM, the leader of the group, will attend the culmination of the celebrations: an event at Seoul’s Han River Park on June 17.
When the group announced a hiatus in 2022, the group had pointed to the exhaustion and pressure brought on by their overwhelming success, stating that each member would be taking a break to focus on their solo careers.
RM then claimed that the K-pop industry, known for its stiff competition, doesn’t allow him to mature as an artist. The group “has to constantly produce music and do something,” he had described, explaining that they “needed time to think and to myself.”
Since the announcement, Jimin has released a six-track solo album, Face, in March, whose single “Like Crazy” is the first by a South Korean artist to reach #1 in the United States. Suga is on his first solo world tour.
According to local media, their hiatus could last up to seven years if the group decides to wait until each member’s military service is over before returning to the studios together.
Enlisting all seven artists to join the military is slowing K-pop’s global growth, their producer Bang Si-hyuk said in March, citing the latest figures — including global charts and album sales.
“It remains to be seen how the group will regroup as a seven-piece once they have completed their military service, as it’s usually a difficult time for groups of male artists,” says Sarah Keith.
But the current hiatus could be “a period of growth for BTS as a whole, as its members pursue solo projects and bring more diversity to the group,” the pundit believes.
K-pop: South Korea celebrates ten years of BTS
Seoul on Monday kicked off a week-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of K-pop group BTS, the first all-South Korean group to top the charts in the US and UK.
On Monday morning, fans of the group had gathered in front of the offices of their agency HYBE, whose facade was painted with a huge fresco of the seven young men who make it up, to take selfies or record videos. TikTok of the event.
Fans from all over the world – known as ARMY – have come to mark the occasion and the city of Seoul has put together a special program to welcome visitors.
“It’s exciting to be here. It’s exciting to be surrounded by other armies,” Anne Micic, a 55-year-old scientist, told AFP.
“When you meet other ARMYs it’s almost like having another family, it’s really awesome,” continued the Aussie fan.
BTS “saved my life,” Claudia Agustin, a 23-year-old Indonesian fan who works in accounting, told AFP in Seoul, adding that her words helped her through difficult times in her life.
She said she’s “really, really proud” of the ten years of the group and its seven members. “I know how hard they’ve fought since their debut and then really came through. Now everyone knows her,” she added.
BTS, which debuted on June 13, 2013, has popularized South Korean music around the world and has grossed billions of dollars by building a global fan base.
Special tourist card
The city of Seoul has released a special tourist map showing 13 landmarks in the capital, including the HYBE office in Yongsan and the historic Gyeongbok Palace, where the septet filmed a special edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Tourist hotspots in Seoul, such as Namsan Tower and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, will be lit up in purple, the color of the band’s fans, for the occasion.
A set of commemorative stamps presented by Korea Post has already sold out online. It took just three hours for the 120,000 available stamp sets to disappear after they went on sale on May 22, a surprised Post official told AFP.
However, fans can still pick them up in person, because from Tuesday, the band’s official debut anniversary date, around 80,000 stamps and other goodies will be available in all post offices.
The group, who are currently on hiatus as two of their members are doing their military service in South Korea, released a new single last week.
Take Two (translated as “take number two”) is set to herald a new chapter for the group after a productive decade.
A handwritten letter from J-Hope, who began military service in April, was published on global fandom platform Weverse on Monday.
“I guess I’ll be very disciplined militarily when the letter is unveiled,” the artist writes in the document.
“Whatever the day, I sincerely thank you and I love you,” he wrote to his admirers.
Those members not yet doing their military service are developing their solo careers during this time, a carefully planned strategy, experts say.
“All male K-pop groups are on hiatus or transition due to conscription in South Korea,” notes Billboard K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin.
“But not all groups have adequately prepared like BTS, with prepared music and meaningful content,” he told AFP.