BTS sat down with Variety Magazine back on September 30, 2020, to talk about politics, ARMYs, and the Grammys. Though the interview is a week old, it recently became a popular topic in Korean online community forums due to the member's smart answers.
During the interview, it is mentioned that BTS, alongside their entertainment company Big Hit Entertainment, donated $1 million USD to the Black Lives Matter, an effort that was quickly matched by their fans, the ARMY. They did the same for Crew Nation's Live Nation effort, which supports out-of-live live entertainment staff and workers during the COVID-19. The boys are also part of UNICEF and have participated in campaigns against children.
Despite their philanthropy, BTS has stated that they are not a political group. "I do not consider us as political," Suga states. "We are not trying to send out some monumental message. We would see the ARMY as a channel for our voice and our opinions. ARMY speaks for their own initiatives, and we will always respect their opinions, as we do any other person's."
RM agreed that they are not political figures, but provided a different outlook to Suga's. "We are not political figures, but as people say, everything is political eventually. Even a pebble can be political."
Did you get RM's reference? It is the reason he went viral with Korean netizens in the first place! When he says that a pebble can be political, he is referring to the voting system used in ancient Greek democracy. In Greece, adult male citizens who wanted to express their opinion would put a pebble in an urn, with a white pebble meaning yes and a black pebble meaning no. It is one of the earliest known depicitions of voting.
Korean netizens praised the idol for his way of words and his intelligence. Check out netizen's comments here:
"I am not a fan but I think he is really smart and hardworking."
"They were asked a stupid question but he answered so well."
"He is a genius, a leader who elevates BTS."
"He is a lot younger than me, but I really respected him."
"Amazing. He is younger than me, but I have a lot to learn from him."
While BTS themselves have stated that they do not consider themselves as political, they are often talked about in a political sense. Recently, the group's members and their possible military enlistment have been discussed, with the oldest member Jin possibly having to enlist this December 2020.
BTS are known to be a driving force in the South Korean economy. During a Supreme Council meeting held on September 29, it is mentioned that BTS has generated 1.7 trillion won for the South Korean economy, and with their recent number one Billboard hit single, their popularity shows no signs of stopping. With that, the government is planning to give BTS the privilege of delaying their military service.
Due to how they raise national morale and reputation, BTS is being considered as cultural spokespeople as they spread the Hallyu Wave internationally. Currently, only people undertaking postgraduate education, people in training institutions, and athletes on national teams can choose to delay or even opt-out of their military service. Musicians and artists are not included. However, as they see how much BTS has greatly benefited the cultural development and promoted national prestige, they are seriously considering allowing them to postpone their military enlistment.
