SOME STRANGE FACTS ABOUT SOUTH KOREA

BTS, or Bangtan Boys, is a band of seven artists that was formed in 2013 in Seoul. Initially producing hip hop music, they expanded to other genres and produced many hit albums including The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2 (2015), The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever (2016), and Wings (2016) that made it to the US Billboard 200, a first ever by a Korean group. With Love Yourself: Tear (2018), Love Yourself: Answer (2018), and Map of the Soul: Persona (2019), BTS became the only group other than The Beatles to have three albums at number one on the charts in less than a year. The band became so influential that they were asked to address the United Nations at the 73rd General Assembly and perform at the Korea-France Friendship Concert in Paris to 400 officials. They are also the youngest ever to receive the Order of Cultural Merit by the South Korean president for their contributions in spreading Korean culture and language. Between 2016 and 2018, the exponential rise in online purchases of K-pop is largely attributed to BTS.

August 7, 2022 | 9:39 pm