From left, J-Hope, Jin and V from K-pop boy band BTS acknowledge fans past Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum from the balcony of the National Palace at Zocalo square in Mexico City, May 6. AFP-Yonhap
As K-pop juggernaut BTS enters a new era following the release of its latest album, "ARIRANG," scholars from around the world will gather in Korea to examine the group's cultural influence through fandom, technology, politics and globalization.
The fifth BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference will take place Thursday and Friday at the International Convention Center of Jeonbuk National University, under the theme "The Next Generation Hallyu & BTS." Hallyu refers to the Korean wave.
Hosted by the International Society for BTS Studies (ISBS), the conference will bring together 50 presenters from 10 countries, including Korea, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mongolia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia and Japan. The event is co-organized by Jeonbuk National University's Namwon Glocal Campus Administration, Center for Glocal University Project, department of K-entertainment and Big Movement.
Opening the conference, Lee Ji-haeng, professor of K-entertainment at Jeonbuk National University, will deliver the keynote address exploring the cultural significance of BTS' "new chapter" after military service. His presentation will examine how fandom, digital technology, global communication and civic engagement continue to shape the group's influence.
