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Korea Herald

[Grace Kao] Fans swarm Hybe as four BTS members return

The world, but Army in particular, welcomed BTS members RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook back to civilian life last week. Members Jin and J-Hope returned earlier in 2024, and Suga is due to complete his military service on June 21, 2025. Nowhere was the excitement more physically palpable than in Seoul at the Hybe Headquarters in Yongsan-gu. Starting on June 10, crowds of Army waited for RM and V to return following their discharge from the military. On June 11, Army gathered to wait for Jimin and Jungkook's return. I spent some time at the Hybe Building on Wednesday morning. It was a beautiful sunny day, which matched the mood of the crowd. There were at least five buses with welcome messages for the members, and large banners hung from nearby buildings. One bus was covered in purple and included photos of the group together with the message '12 Years with You. Russian Army.' Another had a photo of the group, and there were other buses that celebrated individual members' returns. At the Hybe building, two large banners proclaimed, 'We are back,' with the W and the A in "back" substituted with the signifiers for BTS and Army, respectively. Other banners celebrated Jimin and Jungkook in particular. I saw thousands of Army standing on the blocks surrounding the Hybe building. I heard Jungkook's 'Seven' loudly playing from a truck that drove past the crowds, and we happily sang along. While the crowd was at least 90 percent women, I saw people of all ethnicities and ages, and my best guess is that the vast majority were not local Koreans nor were they teenagers. Many international and older Armies made a pilgrimage to BTS' mothership. After all, it takes considerable resources to finance a trip to Korea from abroad. I first spoke to Bethania, 23, who came from Chile and had been in Korea as an international student since February. She told me she had been a BTS fan since 2015 and that Taehyung/V was her bias, and her favorite BTS song was '2! 3!' However, she first became interested in K-pop via 2NE1. Leandra, 29, is originally from Brazil, but currently lives in Germany. She traveled to Korea from Karlsbrune, Germany, just for these members' return despite having 'only been a fan for two years.' Her bias was, like mine, J-Hope. She told me that her favorite song was 'Crystal Snow' — one of BTS' Japanese singles with which I was unfamiliar. Next, I met Luna and Zara, 20-somethings who traveled from Singapore. Luna has been a fan since 2013 and named Jungkook as her bias. Zara explained that she had been a fan since 2018, and that RM was her bias. They planned a two-week trip to Korea for Festa, and were on their way to Busan to visit Jimin's father's cafe. Luna had been to Korea a total of four times, while this was Zara's second trip to Korea. I also chatted with Julie, 57, who hailed from the UK. This was her first time in Korea, and she planned a 29-day trip just for BTS. She has been a fan since 2017 and her bias was Jimin. She couldn't name a favorite BTS song because 'there are just too many.' She happily showed me the 15 or so tattoos that covered her arms — all were related to BTS (although one might have been in honor of Wanna One). She was thrilled to be in Seoul and planned to travel throughout the country. Twenty-something Jaeren was one of the few men I saw, but he admitted that he wasn't a hardcore fan. In fact, he was with his 50-something mom who has been a true Army since 2020. This was their first trip to Korea. They flew to Seoul from Los Angeles, California, and planned a three-week trip around BTS. His favorite song was 'Idol' and his bias was also Jungkook. I could see many other women from different nationalities gathered around. One of the banners bore the Turkish flag. I heard Chinese Mandarin. I saw many Japanese women in their 40, 50s and 60s, but I was unable to communicate with them. I don't know if the BTS members worry about being forgotten. I imagine that it must cross their minds as dozens of boy groups have debuted during BTS members' time in the military. Other groups have seen their popularity rise in the absence of BTS. However, I don't think they should worry too much, especially when it comes to international Army. People who traveled from abroad clearly made their presence felt by spending their time and money on welcoming RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook back. However, the elation I witnessed was really about the imminent reunification of the biggest boy group in the world. I know that Disneyland calls itself 'The Happiest Place on Earth.' However, at least for two days last week, Hybe may have claimed that spot for the BTS Armies that were there.