"We live in the age of globalization that is uni-directional towards English, the U.S., and the West," Dr. Lee Jiyong, the author of BTS, Art Revolution, states in the first unit of “The Art of the Big Bang Media Era-Centering on BTS” (a BTS-focused media course provided by Sejong University). It's hard to argue with Dr. Lee's observation when you realize you've been a product of this particular process, intentionally or not.
BTS then, in Dr. Lee's own words, made "fissures" in the existing hierarchical structure of the Western-driven society. By topping not just domestic but also international charts (multiple times at that!), selling out stadium world tours, and bagging a Grammy nomination, BTS has made a dent in a system that specifically catered to the rules of the English-speaking world. Their Order of Cultural Merit, awarded by the South Korean government, stands in true testament to the septet's global impact.
But this raises a question: How does BTS connect with the rest of the world?
Much has been said about BTS' social media prowess which has had the entertainment industry racing to crack and recreate the so-called "special formula" for years now. Of course, there continues to be endless discourse over the BTS ARMY, the group's passionate and ever-growing fanbase, and their socio-economical and cultural significance. At any given opportunity, the group unabashedly credits their ARMY for their success thus far. ARMY, on their part, sing endless praises of BTS' sincere artistry and personality.
How does ARMY, a fanbase predominantly consisting of non-Korean speakers, understand the meaning and depth of BTS' words and works?
Meet The Legion of ARMY Translators!
In a sea of BTS' 34 million and counting followers on Twitter alone, reside over a dozen Korean-to-English ARMY translators who voluntarily dedicate their time and effort to the cause of BTS & ARMY. From Twitter to the latest addition of Weverse, the translators cover a diverse range of platforms to help the non-Korean speaking BTS ARMYs better understand their idols. Not only that; often, these Korean-to-English translations become the primary source for other language translations – Spanish, Arabic, Italian, Russian, Indonesian, Armenian, etc. In this manner, ARMY translators help BTS' words reach fans beyond linguistic and geographical boundaries. All free of charge.
What motivates these ARMYs to dedicate time out of their hectic schedules to translate BTS' content? "Many of these translators got involved because they noticed incorrect or incomplete English transcripts online, but also because they saw an opportunity to participate in the rise of a group they wanted to see succeed," mentions a The New York Times article.
And the translators do not take this opportunity lightly. With new content dished out almost every second day, ARMYs often express that 24 hours in a day is simply not enough to keep up with everything BTS. For ARMY translators, it is an emotion felt doubly so. Luckily, each fan translator account comes with its area of expertise. While most accounts translate social media posts, translators like @doolsetbangtan and @doyou_bangtan are popular for their comprehensive and in-depth translations and analysis of BTS's lyrics and speeches. @BOMHARU1230 and @choi_bts2 generally tend to cover shorter clips and share K-media news. Some others, like @BTStranslation_, @miiniyoongs, and @tteokminnie, are well-known for their real-time translations of Vlives, variety show appearances, etc.
While the time taken to translate each kind of content profoundly differs, BTS' songs are usually poetic and heavy on wordplay, needing extra time to bring forth the sentiment in English that oftentimes feels limiting. Furthermore, tracks like “Ddaeng” also make multiple cultural references that cannot be understood without context.
Besides the differing sentence structure between the two languages, a literal Korean-to-English translation can often read awkwardly. It can also potentially fail to reflect the correct emotion of the original writer.
This is precisely why real-time translations are even more challenging and complicated to work around. ARMY translators often find it difficult to keep up with a member's live for this very reason. Needless to say, when the members pair with one another, chaos ensues.
We have enormous respect for the translators! BTS, too, share this sentiment. In “Run BTS!” Ep. 133, RM states how live-translators "need to have quick eyes and ears, also a quick brain" to keep up with the conversation and convey the same message in another language.
(Fun fact: “Run BTS!” subtitles differ on Vlive and Weverse due to differences in interpretation by Naver and Big Hit's translation teams that handle each platform respectively. Go check for yourself!).
Building Bridges: How ARMY Translators Help Break Barriers
When not trying to interpret BTS' works, ARMY translators provide fellow ARMYs with free Korean lessons and tips on how to improve their learning. To enhance the non-Korean speaking fans' experience, the translators also generously provide ARMY with respectful and comforting sentences to write to BTS during their lives or send via letters.
Long before Big Hit's “Learn Korean With BTS!,” BigHitEdu, or even the officially subbed “Bangtan Bombs,” Bangtan Translations (also known as Bangtan Subs) had already kickstarted its efforts to help International ARMYs keep up with BTS and get some extensive Korean 101 lessons out of it. In a segment reported by K-media, the 16-member translation team can be seen coordinating via a video conference call, as they simultaneously translate BTS's BE Global PressCon on a shared document before hardcoding it.
Credit: https://twitter.com/BTS_Trans/status/1363540610779656192?s=20
This sheer hard work and dedication is truly admirable, don't you think?
Another admirable feat about ARMY translators is their commitment to educating the masses on culturally and politically sensitive issues. Be it Jimin's Korean Liberation Day t-shirt allegations or a heated discourse on Japanese right-wingers, in a bid to provide their collective perspective and research to diffuse the situation online, a couple of ARMY translators created together what is notably regarded as the White Paper Project. That goes beyond fan translation efforts as we know it.
While many of us consider ourselves fortunate enough to exist in the same universe as BTS, let's not forget the ones who help bridge the differences. #ThankYouARMYTranslators
“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
Bong Joon-Ho, Director, Golden Globes 2020
In the end, despite being ever-ready for subtitles, isn’t it amazing that the BTS ARMY has also taken a keen interest in learning a difficult foreign language and educating themselves about Korean culture?
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Written by Mei
Edited by Vera
Checked by Aury