Global Courant
A large event held next to the Han River in Seoul served as the end of the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the popular band BTS, which for the last week have dyed the South Korean capital with the purple color with which the group and its followers identify themselves. .
It did not matter that the thermometer in the city exceeded 30 degrees Celsius today; Thousands of BTS fans, known as ARMYs, gathered at the park along the estuary in the Yeouido neighborhood to pay tribute to their idols.
The queues to take a photo in front of the sculptures installed for the occasion by Hybe, the band’s representation agency, were around half an hour, as was the wait to get a temporary tattoo or be able to take photos of the clothes that the artists wore. They used on the TV show “Run BTS”.
Three French friends in their twenties, Lucy, Mandy and Mandy (two of whom share the same name) haven’t minded waiting in the sun at all.
The three, who met through social networks thanks to their passion for BTS, have made their trip to South Korea coincide with the group’s tenth birthday.
One of them has even obtained one of the tickets that have been distributed by draw among the ARMYs to be present at the meeting that RM, leader of the formation, held this June 17 with followers and that will serve as the main course for the BTS Festa , the event with which the group celebrates each year, with both face-to-face and online events, the anniversary of its foundation.
BTS fans took pictures with the decoration of the k-pop group in Yeouido’s Han River Park. (Free Press Photo: EFE/ Andrés Sánchez Braun).
This year’s is doubly special, since it not only celebrates the 10 years of existence of the group (a rarity in the K-Pop industry where the contracts of the bands with their representation normally last seven years and are not usually renewed) but also it’s also the first Festa to be held since BTS announced they would be taking a hiatus until at least 2025.
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During this period, its seven members -RM, Jimin, Jin, V, Suga, J-Hope and Jungkook- will take the opportunity to focus on personal projects and perform military service, mandatory for all men in South Korea.
AFP supporters gathered at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, South Korea to celebrate the band’s 10th birthday. (Free Press Photo: Anthony WALLACE / AFP).
The seven have also admitted the need to take a break after a decade that began discreetly, with the release of “No more dream”, the central single from their first EP, “2 Cool 4 Skool”, which was presented on 12 June 2013 and lukewarmly received.
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It was their third EP, The most beautiful moment in life pt.1, released in 2015, which began to catapult them to success thanks to the sound and magnetism of its members and lyrics that spoke about the problems of adolescence with unprecedented sincerity. until then in K-Pop.
From there, the global climb of BTS, which along the way has achieved milestones such as topping the Billboard Hot 100 list or being the first South Korean artist to be nominated for a Grammy, has seemed to have no ceiling.
BTS dyed Seoul purple, for the celebration of its 10 years. (Free Press Photo: AFP).
The fact that fans from Russia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the US, France, the Philippines or Mexico have gathered this Saturday, June 17, under the sweltering heat in Seoul to celebrate the team they admire gives an idea of its scope. .
Gabi, 22, and Valery, 23, are two Mexican students who are studying an exchange semester in South Korea and admit that BTS has had an important weight in their lives.
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In Valery’s case, the band opened the doors for him to discover other aspects of South Korean popular culture, such as series, something fundamental in his professional career, since he is now studying audiovisual production.
“BTS is a very important part of my life and I love them very much and taking advantage of the fact that I was in Korea, why not come to celebrate their 10th anniversary?” he says.
