ARMYs Tell Us Who You Are

After a year of sharing stories of many of our amazing ARMYs around the world, this blog will take a slightly different turn to show more bright colors of the ARMY fandom. This month, I was invited to share my story as an international ARMY (from Indonesia), now living and studying in South Korea. As this month’s blogger, I am excited and nervous to share my story, but I know that some of my experiences will be familiar to many of you reading this blog. So let’s get started!

Becoming a fan of BTS is a life-changing journey that every ARMY member has gone through since their first day of growing closer to the lovely members. But being an international ARMY in BTS’ own country of South Korea? It is such an unexpected story and privilege, one that many of us might have never imagined before!

How to be an ARMY?

To be honest, it’s not complicated! To become ARMY, you just need to take the time to learn about BTS, and through their messages and music, enjoy the journey with them. Soon you’ll realize that the more you know about BTS and their music, the more your love for them grows. Without any connections and limited financial backing from their agency, the love and admiration that ARMY has for BTS has played a big part in them becoming the global superstars that they are today. As we know, the ARMY fandom has many beautiful stories that showed their support for BTS since the beginning of their career. Yet, even before the fandom officially received the name A.R.M.Y (which means “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth”), the seven members of BTS relied heavily on social media, which indirectly encouraged the intimacy and connection between ARMY and BTS.

Personally, being an international ARMY in South Korea has given me many new opportunities to feel closer to BTS. I am even more excited now after learning about the offline concert in March 2022 in Seoul!

How does it feel to be an International ARMY in South Korea?

Well, it's hard to say because I am speechless. When BTS gave a concert in Indonesia, I didn’t attend, so I waited patiently, hoping that one day another opportunity would come. Now, here I am as an international student and ARMY! There are so many things that I am experiencing in South Korea—stories that I can keep in my memories and share when I am older. Stories that aren’t only about ARMY or BTS, but also about the culture, the land, the people, and the language.

Since coming here, there have been many real-life experiences and lessons that fit the philosophy of “no pain, no gain.” That's why I can understand how hard it must have been for the BTS members and how much harder they had to work to achieve their dreams. This philosophy says that people have to work harder to get what they want because the result is more important than the process, even more important than the journey. It is not an easy philosophy to live up to, but I can see that it is a way of life for many living here.

Just as BTS worked hard to overcome the struggles they experienced – with their backgrounds, their small, unknown agency, and even their songs – I too, have worked hard to overcome my struggles. While it has been a bit of a culture shock for me, I feel that, because of my experiences, I am now able to relate to BTS more and can honestly say that I feel more connected to them after arriving here. Those experiences include learning their language, eating Korean food, watching their daily life, or going to a beach, a park, or a museum – you usually don’t have to pay a ticket fee when you visit such places!

In terms of mental health, I think BTS has already given us strength and motivation through their songs. They came from the deepest parts of their hearts for us, ARMY, as their support system on their journey. There are many times when I find it hard here (no pain, no gain), but BTS are part of my support system, so I remember what they do in their daily lives and keep going!

A message to ARMYs

Living here and being part of the student residences, I have gained a greater understanding of how BTS became a global success in the music industry, despite coming from a small agency. They have worked hard since their humble beginnings. Through their lyrics, BTS have given ARMYs an endless supply of messages of love, hope, and inspiration. They remind us how beautiful our lives are, and that these shouldn’t be wasted.

The boys survived their past struggles and have continued moving forward in pursuit of their dreams, without ignoring the importance of loving themselves. Maybe this can be a small message to anyone who becomes part of ARMY – Love yourself, just like BTS said!