BTS is South Korea’s biggest cultural catfish
When the band went on hiatus in 2022, K-pop lost an anchor and a catfish – a player that puts pressure on its peers, spurring them to compete and improve. Now they’re back
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K-POP’S growing global clout has led to anxiety in South Korea about the genre straying from its roots. The return of super boy band BTS after a three-year hiatus has put paid to that charge – at a time when home-grown music and cultural industries need it most to build traction abroad.
On Saturday (Mar 21), the seven-member group kicked off a year-long tour of five continents in support of its Arirang album, released the day before, with a free concert live-streamed by Netflix.
From the performance’s location at the historic Gwanghwamun Square in the heart of Seoul to their outfits by independent Korean designer Songzio to the record title, a beloved folksong that is the country’s informal national anthem, the performers explicitly highlighted their heritage to the world.
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