BTS announces two official books; one breaks down song lyrics and one is full of Korean recipes
Thirteen years of music. Seven members. Now, the stories behind the songs and the meals that fuelled them are finally getting their own pages.
Amid his military service, BTS’ RM often interacts with the BTS fandom, dubbed the ARMY. In a recent interaction, he proved why he is the septet’s leader. During a recent interaction, RM spoke about the K-pop industry and pressure for perfection and competitive culture. Subsequently, one of his replies went viral on TheQoo, amassing over 30,000 views and hundreds of comments.
During an interaction, a fan probed BTS’ RM to reflect on the rigorous and demanding nature of the K-pop industry. The fan asked, “K-pop stars go through years of intense training under a highly competitive survival system, and even after debut, they continue to push themselves to the limit. What are your thoughts on this system?”
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To this, RM replied, “My company doesn’t like it when I answer questions like this, because I do acknowledge parts of it. Some reporters are going to write headlines like, ‘RM calls it a horrible system that destroys young people!’ But I think that system has, in its own way, played a role in shaping this unique industry. A lot has improved over time, too; things like contract terms and training methods have changed significantly for the better.”
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Subsequently, one fan enquired if this obsession with perfection is only applicable to the Korean Entertainment culture. RM reflected, “Westerners don’t understand. Korea is a country that was invaded, devastated, and then divided in two. Just 70 years ago, we had nothing. We were a country that needed help from the IMF and the UN. But now, we’re a nation the whole world is watching. How was that even possible? How did this happen? It’s because people worked like crazy to move forward. Then people from countries like France or the UK, nations that colonized others for centuries, come here and say things like, ‘Wow… you guys are way too hard on yourselves. Life in Korea is so stressful!'”
The K-pop sensation further added, “But those things are what it takes to make it. And they’re also what makes K-Pop so captivating. Sure, there’s a grey area when it comes to judgment, but anything that happens too fast or too intensely is bound to come with side effects. It might be frustrating that Spotify lumps everything we do under ‘K-pop,’ but the effect is undeniable. It’s a premium label, a seal of quality built on the achievements of those who came before us.”
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Meanwhile, RM is currently serving in the military. While Jin and J-hope have already completed their services, the remaining members are going to wrap up their duties soon. Following this, fans will get the highly awaited reunion of the global septet BTS. Fans can once again expect RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook to take over the music scene.
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