On September 14, 2018, RM, the leader of BTS, gave a powerful speech to the UN General Assembly, which became a significant moment in K-pop history. His message encouraged people to “speak [them]selves (…) no matter who [they] are, where [they’re] from, [their] skin color, gender identity.” His mention of gender identity was significant to international ARMYs and positioned him as an advocate for LGBTQ+ human rights. While the speech also resonated in Korea, it did so for different reasons. Despite K-pop being produced in a conservative and heteronormative society, it challenges gender norms worldwide. The article explores the following questions: (1) How did RM’s speech resonate differently among international and Korean K-pop fandoms? (2) What does this discrepancy reveal about BTS’ influence on their fans? The study uses on-site fan interviews and social media analysis of tweets to answer these questions.
More info on the coding part in the Digital Humanities Portfolio