BTS Army celebrate group's return from military service by helping Korean adoptees
K-pop megaband BTS are back from military service, and their international fandom – known for its progressive activism – is celebrating by rallying behind a cause: adoptees from South Korea.
Advertisement
Now Asia's fourth-largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse, the idols' native South Korea remains one of the biggest exporters of adopted babies in the world, having sent more than 140,000 children overseas between 1955 and 1999.
The country only recently acknowledged, after years of activism by adult adoptees, that the government was responsible for abuse in some such adoptions of local children, including record fabrication and inadequate consent from birth parents.
BTS's fandom, dubbed Army, is known for backing causes like Black Lives Matter and ARMY4Palestine, and launched the #ReuniteWithBTS fundraising project last week to support Korean adoptees seeking to reconnect with or learn about their birth families, which can be a painful and legally tricky process.
Jungkook (left) and Jimin of BTS salute for the media and fans shortly after their release from 18 months of South Korean military service. Photo: AFP
Almost all the
BTS members have completed
their mandatory military service , required of all men due to the country's military tensions with North Korea.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Thousands flock to Chiikawa gift set giveaway in Hong Kong ahead of exhibition
Thousands of Hong Kong fans of the hugely popular Japanese anime and manga series Chiikawa lined up for a merchandise giveaway in the run-up to a summer exhibition featuring the characters that are expected to draw local and foreign visitors alike. Fans queued at Austin MTR station and other locations on Sunday afternoon to collect their free party hats and balloons, which featured either Chiikawa, Usagi or Hachiware – the three most recognisable characters from the series. Gift sets were handed out at random to fans who had preregistered for the event. Those who were unable to pick up their favourite characters ended up trading their gift sets with others, their faces lighting up after making a successful swap. Among those assembled at the station was Michelle Tsang, 27, who showed up in a Chiikawa T-shirt. She said she loved the franchise because the plot, which relates closely to the lives of an employee, had a certain healing power for her. 'Usagi does not care about others' opinions and lives true to oneself, while Chiikawa is the one who works diligently but quietly,' she said.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
World's largest Legoland set to open in Shanghai, China
Visitors ride a rollercoaster in the new Legoland in Shanghai. Photo: EPA-EFE Visitors ride a rollercoaster in the new Legoland in Shanghai. Photo: EPA-EFE share
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in July 2025, including Law and the City on Disney+
Streamers and broadcasters alike have reserved some major hitters for the summer season, and July promises to have a K-drama or two to suit all tastes. 1. Bitch x Rich season 2 Lead cast: Lee Eun-saem, Yeri, Kim Min-kyu Play School web drama Bitch x Rich returns for a second season this summer. In the first season, Kim Hye-in (Lee Eun-saem), despite coming from a poor background, is offered the opportunity to enrol at the top-class Cheongdam International High School after she is the sole witness to a murder there. Baek Je-na (Yeri), once the school's queen bee, is suspected of the murder, which creates ripples through the allegiances of her friends. Kim Min-kyu ( The Fabulous ) joins the cast for season 2 as a new student. (Wavve/Viu, July 3) 2. Law and the City Lead cast: Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young
