Time has named BTS Entertainer of the Year. (Time)
Last April, I was interviewing families of victims in the Sewol ferry sinking for the sixth anniversary of that tragedy, and I heard them mention an unexpected name. Here’s the story: about 200 days after the Sewol tragedy occurred in 2014, the victim’s families were apparently visited by some “young friends.” Extremely polite, they lit incense for the victims and consoled their loved ones before heading on their way. They also donated 100 million won (US$91,603) to the family members’ association. The visitors were the K-pop group BTS, who had made their debut less than two years earlier. Bang Si-hyuk, chair of their management agency Big Hit Entertainment, was also with them, the families told me.The families said they felt “truly grateful” to BTS, who followed their convictions even at a time when the administration was drafting a “cultural blacklist” in connection with the Sewol tragedy and subjecting people to prejudicial treatment. For the same reason, the families continued to “support them and cheered for their success.” It may have been a natural outcome for them to hope that the artists who visited them and so earnestly comforted them amid their grief would end up becoming the most popular musical act out there.Last summer, the Hankyoreh explored the factors behind the popularity of the supergroup SSAK3 (Lee Hyo-ri, Yu Jae-seok, and Rain). Today we’re discussing BTS.It wouldn’t be overstating things to call 2020 the “year of BTS.” The number of “firsts,” “biggests,” and “longests” they’ve racked up is difficult to keep track of, even for an entertainment reporter. The hope of the Sewol families has come to pass. Quietly following their own path since their debut rather than focusing on what others were doing, the members have taken just seven years to rewrite the history of Korean popular music.
