{"id":377991,"date":"2026-04-06T14:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T14:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/377991\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T14:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T14:34:29","slug":"how-bts-won-over-a-generation-k-pop-never-expected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/377991\/","title":{"rendered":"How BTS won over a generation K-pop never expected"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fans cheer during the “BTS the Comeback Live: Arirang” performance held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n

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For Kat Turner, a Korean American adoptee born in Busan, discovering BTS was not simply a matter of finding a band. It was, she says, a way of rediscovering herself.
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Now in her 60s \u2014 chic with silver hair and a black Celine shirt \u2014 Turner has been a devoted member of the group\u2019s global fandom, known as ARMY, since 2020. Her connection runs deeper than mere admiration, however, as it marked a turning point in a lifelong negotiation with identity.
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\u201cIt took until 2020 and people like BTS for me to see, \u2018Well, being Korean is a good thing\u2019,\u201d she said, her voice catching.
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\"Kat <\/p>\n

Kat Turner, a Korean American ARMY, poses for photos beside mannequins displaying stage costumes worn by BTS members at Gallery Noir Songzio in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on March 31. The costumes, designed by Songzio, were worn by the members during the \u201cBTS The Comeback: Live\u201d performance at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [SHIN HA-NEE]<\/p>\n

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\u201cI didn’t know what \u2018Arirang\u2019 meant until BTS named their album this,\u201d she added, pointing to the septet\u2019s latest full-length release, \u201cArirang,\u201d named after
\n a collection of beloved Korean folk songs.<\/a>
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\u201cSo many people are learning more about Korea and Korean culture \u2014 but specifically for me, my journey, that [\u2018Arirang\u2019] was my song without knowing.\u201d
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Turner spoke beside mannequins dressed in the group\u2019s stage costumes for its March 21 comeback performance at Seoul\u2019s Gwanghwamun Square, now displayed on the second floor of Gallery Noir Songzio. There, Turner grew visibly emotional as she recalled her childhood in the United States, where, she said, being Korean often made her a target for ridicule.
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BTS performing during the BTS comeback show at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [BIGHIT MUSIC]<\/p>\n

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\u201cGrowing up in the U.S., you\u2019re just being made fun over being Korean,\u201d she shared. \u201cAnd finally, you see examples of, ‘Oh my gosh, we can be proud to be Korean.’\u201d
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Such realization has since set something in motion.
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\u201cSo, my journey to learn about Korea and where I was born started in 2020.\u201d
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\nARMY goes silver-purple
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Turner is part of a significant contingent within BTS\u2019s global fandom that skews older, with some calling themselves \u201cSilver ARMY.\u201d
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While the fandom remains famously diverse across ethnicity, age and identity, the visibility of older fans has become increasingly difficult to miss. That shift was evident at the group\u2019s March 21 comeback event at Gwanghwamun Square, where the crowd extended well beyond the young women who have traditionally dominated K-pop audiences.
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Interspersed among them were fans in their 40s, 50s and older \u2014 mostly women, but also men \u2014 forming a multigenerational audience that was once considered atypical for a K-pop act.
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Fans cheer during the “BTS the Comeback Live: Arirang” performance held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n

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Fans cheer passionately and hold mobile phones to capture moment of K-pop band BTS’s comeback performance held Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n

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Data backs the trend. \u00a0
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According to data tech company IGAWorks, of the 163,964 individuals who passed through the vicinity of Gwanghwamun Square on the day of \u201cBTS the Comeback Live: Arirang,\u201d women in their 40s made up the largest share at 21.8 percent, followed by men in their 40s at 13.3 percent. Women in their 50s made up 12.2 percent, and women in their 30s 12.1 percent.
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Compared with other K-pop acts \u2014 whose audiences still skew younger \u2014 BTS stands out for its unusually broad age range.
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Among tickets purchased for boy band Seventeen\u2019s April concert, fans in their 20s made up the largest share at 34.6 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 33.7 percent, according to data from NOL Interpark as of Thursday. Fans aged 50 and over accounted for just 1.9 percent.
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By contrast, audiences for BTS\u2019s upcoming \u201cArirang\u201d concert in Goyang, Gyeonggi, are far more evenly distributed across age groups. Those in their 40s make up 26.8 percent, those in their 20s 26.4 percent and in their 30s 25.9 percent. Notably, fans aged 50 and above account for 12.9 percent, while those under 20 represent 5.9 percent.
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BTS fans pose for a photo at the “Spotify X BTS: Swimside” event held in New York City on March 23. [YONHAP]<\/p>\n

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\nBTS represents culture
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What, then, has driven BTS\u2019s fandom to extend well beyond the conventional bounds of K-pop?
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At its core, fans point to the emotional depth of the group\u2019s music and narrative centered on the message of \u201cLove yourself.\u201d But BTS\u2019s unique position in the global pop landscape has also played a decisive role.
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For the Korean diaspora, the group has contributed to redefining representation on a global stage, reshaping what Korean identity looks like in popular culture. \u00a0
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In Korea, the emotional register is different \u2014 but no less intense.
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Cho, a 55-year-old office worker in Seoul who wished to be identified by her surname, first took interest in 2018 after a colleague in her 40s spoke about her fascination with BTS member Jin.
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\u201cSince then, I became curious about what makes the group so popular worldwide,\u201d Cho said.
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Fans of BTS wait for a comeback show of BTS near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21 [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n

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She began watching reaction videos on YouTube, where creators analyze and praise the group\u2019s music and performances, and soon found herself revisiting the group\u2019s discography and content from its earliest releases.
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\u201cI found moments of healing and relief from daily life through BTS and fan content, where ARMY around the world share how the group helped them through struggles and depression,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s how it became a routine for me to be part of that community, loving and supporting BTS.\u201d
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The group\u2019s unique relationship with mass media has been key to broadening its audience, said Kim Jung-won, an ethnomusicologist specializing in K-pop culture at Yonsei University.
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Boy band BTS [BIGHIT MUSIC]<\/p>\n

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\u201cBTS has been portrayed across the broader media scape \u2014 through mainstream outlets like news channels as well as social media \u2014 primarily with its achievements in the United States, rather than targeting a specific demographic in terms of its exposure,\u201d said Kim.
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That visibility, she added, tapped into a sense of national pride, positioning the group as a cultural emblem of Korean identity and ultimately drawing audiences beyond traditional K-pop listeners.
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The widening age range of the fandom also reflects broader social shifts.
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\u201cThose in their 50s and 60s today are different from previous generations,\u201d Kim stressed, noting that Korea\u2019s Generation X grew up expressing identity through pop culture and consumption in the 80s and 90s. \u201cThe subculture they consumed in their youth has grown with them \u2014 and is now part of the mainstream.\u201d
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\nCommunity thrives on diversity
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While the presence of fans in their 50s and older may feel relatively new in Korea\u2019s pop landscape, in the West, where youth culture has been embedded since the 1950s, it is less unusual.
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\u201cMany Silver ARMY I’ve spoken to have been avid fans of other artists, and so we share those stories with each other,\u201d said Sam, a 50-year-old fan based in Bournemouth, England, who has been part of ARMY since 2024.
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As a member of Generation X in the United Kingdom, Sam said they and their peers have faced little difficulty navigating the fandom culture and digital platforms that sustain modern fandoms.
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BTS’s \u2033Yet To Come in Busan\u2033 concert held on Oct. 15, 2022 [BIGHIT MUSIC]<\/p>\n

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What drew them, according to Sam, was the craft.
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\u201cI’m a fan of BTS first and foremost for their level of artistry, both as singers, dancers, songwriters and producers,\u201d they noted. \u201cWhat has kept me interested in them is their humanity, their philanthropy and the messages they promote through their work.\u201d
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That sentiment echoes across fans as Turner cited the group\u2019s \u201cauthenticity\u201d for BTS\u2019s cross-generational appeal, while Cho pointed to its \u201cwarm message of \u2018love yourself\u2019 and musical versatility.\u201d
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For many, that shared admiration has fostered a sense of community, one that cuts across age, ethnicity and sexuality.
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Boy band BTS [BIGHIT MUSIC]<\/p>\n

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Sam recalled first connecting with another fan, Tia, a Korean woman they met during an online English lesson.
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\u201cAt the time, I was a little embarrassed, thinking I was too old for something like this, but Tia was close in age to myself,\u201d Sam recalled.
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Tia, who passed away in February last year unexpectedly from cardiac arrest, remains a lasting presence in Sam\u2019s memory, who hopes to one day connect with someone else who remembers her.
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\u201cBTS has shifted my outlook on life,\u201d said Sam, pointing to \u201clove yourself\u201d as the core message behind BTS\u2019s artistry.
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\u201cBuilding something worthwhile takes time and commitment,\u201d they said. \u201cThat’s something else that I’ve learned from them \u2014 It’s changed the way I approach my life a lot.\u201d
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\nAgeism under pressure
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While the ARMY community offers a sense of belonging, the broader social landscape is notably less inclusive.
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Turner shared that she refrains from disclosing her age online because of the longstanding prejudice.
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\u201cThere’s so much discrimination going on,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce people find out your age, they have certain expectations.\u201d
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Boy band BTS perform at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21. [AP\/YONHAP] <\/p>\n

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Such attitudes persist within K-pop fan culture, said
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\n\u00a0Older fans have at times been mocked online when their names appear on fan-meeting winner lists, she noted, reflecting wider age-based prejudice in Korean society.
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\u201cThere has long been a fixed idea of how older generation should behave in Korea,\u201d Kim said, suggesting that such biases may continue to create friction in the future as fandom demographics diversify.
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\u201cBut K-pop is beginning to challenge that,\u201d Kim said. \u201cAs expectations broaden, I believe the shift is very inspiring and significant in the societal context.\u201d
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Now, as BTS prepares to perform in Busan \u2014 the city of Turner\u2019s birth \u2014 she is among those crossing their fingers, hoping to secure a ticket despite the notoriously fierce competition.
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\u201cThe Busan concert would be very meaningful to me \u2014 that’s where I was born,\u201d she said with a smile. \u201cI also want to know what it feels like to be in an audience where I blend in.\u201d
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\"Kat <\/p>\n

Kat Turner, a Korean American adoptee and BTS fan, shows a tattoo of her Korean name, Moon Soon-ja, which she got with her children as a family tribute. [SHIN HA-NEE]<\/p>\n

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fans cheer during the “BTS the Comeback Live: Arirang” performance held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377992,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[146,85,46,409],"class_list":{"0":"post-377991","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}