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| ▲BTS. Photo By Bighit Music |
It was exactly 10 years ago. That's when the world star group BTS came to our shores.
In June 2013, BTS burst onto the music scene as a "seven-member hip-hop idol".
While the group stood out because they were produced by Bang Si Hyuk, the producer behind many of their hits, they were also dubbed "dirtbag idols" because they came from a small to medium-sized management company. It's hard to imagine them being called the "21st century Beatles" now.
Still, BTS began to establish themselves in the Korean music industry with a steady stream of hits, including "2 COOL 4 SKOOL" and the school series of mini album "O!RUL8,2?" and mini album "Skool Luv Affair".
In April 2015, the "Hwayang Yeonhwa" series began to take off - overseas, too. After "Hwayang Yeonhwa Part 2" entered the U.S. Billboard 200, it was a series of "firsts" for BTS.
Since then, BTS has taken the Western music market by storm, unprecedented in the history of Korean idol groups. As a boy group with a strong commitment to spreading K-pop, BTS is now arguably the most popular group in the world.
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| RM Instagram Capture |
They've just celebrated their 10th anniversary.
Every step they take is a first for South Korea and a first for the world: they are the first Korean artist to top the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts.
In November 2020, they topped both Billboard's main charts simultaneously with their albums "BE" and "Life Goes On." They also became the first Korean-language song in Billboard's 62-year history to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, among other achievements too numerous to list. All of the members' solo songs have also officially charted on the Hot 100.
BTS has also been invited to perform at the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards, the three major American award shows. At the 49th American Music Awards in 2021, BTS became the first Asian artist to win the prestigious Artist of the Year award, and then went on to win the Billboard Music Awards for six consecutive years, proving that they are an unprecedented artist.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released a global music report stating that BTS was the number one selling artist in the global music market.
BTS's tremendous success made Hive (Big Hit Entertainment), which was once called a "small and medium-sized agency," the number one agency in Korea. It was also announced that BTS brings $5 billion (approximately KRW 5.7 trillion) in economic benefits to South Korea every year. (Hyundai Research Institute report as of 2021)
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| ▲Map of the BTS 10th anniversary tour in Seoul. (Source=Seoul City) |
BTS is currently in a situation where only some of its members are engaged in individual activities due to their military enlistment, but the ARMY (Bangtan Boydan Fan Club) continues to love them.
The official name of BTS's fandom, formed on July 9, 2013. The name is said to be derived from the English words for "Army" and "Adorable Representative M.C for Youth. Ami is also said to mean "Just as body armor and the army are always together, BTS and its fans are always together."
BTS's 10th anniversary is a very special occasion for ARMYs around the world, and they're flocking to Seoul to make a "pilgrimage" to find traces of BTS in the city, including the Hive office building and restaurants and cafes where BTS members have been known to hang out.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced a list of 13 "holy pilgrimage" tourist spots that any BTS fan would love to visit.
First up are Gyeongbokgung Palace's Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru. This is because it was here that BTS filmed a live performance that was broadcast on local talk show "The Jimmy Fallon Show" in 2020, which was the first time BTS was introduced to the American public.
Euljiro and Noddle Island are also holy grounds for BTS, where they filmed their annual Season's Greetings (a set of merchandise including New Year's calendars and diaries). The same goes for Seoul's Mapo-gu Cultural Reserve Base and Mount Achasan, where BTS filmed its own content, "Run Bulletproof," for its official YouTube channel.
In particular, Mount Achasan has become a favorite spot for fans, as it was mentioned in "Run Run Bulletproof" that BTS climbed the mountain in a game. Hakdong Neighborhood Park, where BTS members practiced their choreography before their debut, is also a must-see for ARMYs.
On the 17th, the main event of the '2023 BTS FESTA' will be held at Yeouido Hangang Park. The event will be organized as a festival for both the ami and the public to enjoy. There will also be various experience booths, from Seoul in Purple, a Seoul tourism promotion booth, to Map of the Seoul, a stamp tour, hashtag events, and BTS-related giveaways.
The stamp tour visits major BTS-related attractions in the city, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Bulletproof Forest in Hangang Park, and offers BTS merchandise as a prize for uploading authentic photos. We plan to allow global fans to visit major Seoul attractions in a natural way.
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