Changing Awareness of Diversity with BTS ~ "BTS On the Road" Book Review ~

What sparked your interest in diversity?

The reasons are likely diverse: conversations with family or friends, influences from news or dramas, or encounters within corporate activities.

For instance, survey results(*) show many people cite media, international content, or the influence of celebrities as turning points that changed their awareness of LGBTQ+ issues or deepened their understanding. It's also said that more people are engaging with complex issues like race and gender through idols and artists, with the globally popular South Korean seven-member group BTS being a prime example.

This time, we highlight the book "BTS On the Road" (Genkosha) and introduce it from the perspective of "BTS and Diversity," as explored by Dentsu Inc. Diversity Lab (DDL), which conducts research in the field of diversity and inclusion.

*Referencing results from DDL's " LGBTQ+ Survey 2020 " conducted in December 2020.

(This article is an edited version of content originally published in the web magazine cococolor, operated by DDL.)
 

" BTS On the Road " (Author: Hong Seok-kyung, Translator: Yuka Kuwabata / Genshisha)
Release Date: June 11, 2021

BTS is a South Korean idol group that has rapidly become a global pop icon. Their best album, recently released in Japan, achieved massive success with first-week sales of 782,000 copies.

This book analyzes BTS's popularity from social and media perspectives, objectively and deeply exploring the impact their pioneering views on new generations, culture, race, and gender have had on people worldwide. This is no surprise, as author Hong Seok-kyung is a professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Seoul National University and an expert who has published papers on "Hallyu around the world" for over a decade.

This time, as a DDL-style book review, we focus on the diversity BTS has transformed, as discussed in Chapters 3 through 6 of "BTS On the Road."

BTS: A Minority Group

First, while they are globally active under the name "BTS," their official group name is "Bangtan Sonyeondan" (防弾少年団). This name carries the meaning of "protecting themselves from social prejudice and oppression directed at teens and twenties, and steadfastly defending their music."

In Korean society,

Even if one strives hard within the competitive system of schools and academic cliques established by their parents' generation and gains admission to a prestigious university, they can no longer achieve their dreams or gain freedom (P.128).

Despite this harsh reality, each BTS member was born in a Korean province, moved alone to Seoul as a teenager, and became a trainee at an then-unknown entertainment agency. Choosing the idol path over academic credentials despite parental opposition, they were truly minorities within Korean society. No one could have imagined they would become the global stars they are today.

Role Models Speaking in Their Own Words

The root of BTS's fervent popularity seems to lie in how they convey messages born from their own lives through their music. Rather than merely singing songs provided by their agency, BTS members write their own lyrics and compose their own music. They sang to their peers, "It's okay to have no dreams" and "Love yourself just as you are." By consistently and steadily delivering such unified messages, BTS transcends mere entertainment to captivate people.

Professor Hong Seok-kyung's observation is also intriguing: whereas past top artists were "stars distant from fans," BTS are "like friends" to their fans, serving as role models and norms (see p.147). One factor cited is the members' social media activity.

Posts where members speak directly to fans and livestreams showing them eating Korean cup noodles in their hotel rooms after concerts make many fans feel "as if they have a personal, close relationship with the members." The more fans see the members' authentic selves, the more they are drawn to their human charm.

BTS and ARMY's "Positive Influence"

The book states that BTS is not only acclaimed in the global music scene but also possesses "positive influence." This point is precisely a phenomenon worth noting from a marketing perspective right now.

HYBE, BTS's agency, operates under the slogan "We Believe in Music," with the philosophy "Music and Artist for Healing." Furthermore, BTS's fans are called "ARMY," and it's noteworthy that ARMYs worldwide respond to BTS's messages and activities by engaging in social initiatives within their own countries and communities. Here are three examples of how BTS has become a "positive influence" for people globally.

① Spontaneously Spreading Charity Activities
The first example is how ARMY members, learning about BTS's charitable activities, took action to follow their lead. BTS members are known to have made substantial donations to children's support organizations and educational institutions.

In 2020, BTS and their agency donated $1 million (approximately ¥110 million) to the Global Network Foundation to support Black Lives Matter. Upon hearing this news, ARMYs spontaneously launched a Twitter campaign to double that donation amount, raising over $1 million in less than 24 hours.

Furthermore, on members' birthdays, ARMYs organize donations to animal welfare organizations, emergency food relief efforts, and blood donation drives. ARMYs themselves are putting into action the desire to become a "positive influence" just like BTS, creating a truly circular movement.

② Standing Against Discrimination and Oppression
The second point is BTS's message: "Love yourself, regardless of skin color or gender identity." In 2017, BTS partnered with UNICEF to launch the " Love Myself Campaign " to protect youth from violence.

BTS leader RM's 2018 speech at the UN Headquarters in New York made headlines worldwide. RM's words in the speech—"Skin color and gender identity don't matter" and "The present me exists alongside all my past failures and mistakes. Let's learn to love ourselves"—were widely praised for showing support for the Black community and the LGBTQ community, and for giving hope to the younger generation. Fans, especially in Europe and America, reportedly welcomed BTS's expression of political stance and participation, leading to increased trust in the group.

Incidentally, when a German radio host made racist remarks about BTS performing Coldplay songs on "MTV Unplugged" in 2021—amid escalating Asian hate issues in the US—ARMYs worldwide criticized the host on social media and demanded an apology (see p.266).

Thus, whenever BTS faces discrimination or oppression, ARMYs gain opportunities to seriously learn about the background and causes of the issue and take collective action in solidarity.

③ A New Perspective on Gender
Third, BTS presented an "alternative masculinity" to Western gender norms.

Hong cites elements that fostered values distinct from the "global standard of beauty" created by the West: the members wearing makeup, expressing themselves freely and naturally on camera, and being close and affectionate with each other as men (see pp. 243-246).

American fans interviewed for this book described BTS's masculinity as a "softer masculinity" distinct from the authoritarian masculinity symbolized by former President Trump. Furthermore,

the communication among members conveys the message that "friendship and expressions of affection between same-sex individuals are not 'abnormal,' but rather profoundly human and normal" (p. 252).

It is also written that BTS freely liberates LGBTQ gender identities.

BTS and the Changing Awareness of Diversity

When confronting diversity issues, it's not easy to not only internalize them as personal matters but also to keep putting them out there. Yet BTS seems to be gradually changing the world's attitude toward diversity.

Previously, there was a significant distance between supporting idols and engaging in political or social activism. BTS bridges this gap, sending positive messages to everyone living in this society. Combined with the ARMY's strong drive and solidarity, it will be interesting to see if this "positive influence" continues to gain momentum globally.