CULTURE

How BTS, the First K-Pop Band to Top the Billboard Charts, Became the Biggest K-Pop Stars on the Planet

Everything you need to know about the Korean boy band’s meteoric rise.


2018 Billboard Music Awards - Show
Kevin Winter

Just about a year ago, BTS became the first K-pop band to win a Billboard Music Award, edging out Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes (who is “obsessed” with watching the band’s dance videos), and Justin Bieber for the prize for Top Social Artist at the 2017 BBMAs. At the time, for many American observers, the band was relatively unknown (prompting some unabashedly racist reactions to their victory), but from there, their meteoric rise continued unremitting: The seven-piece outfit (three rappers, four vocalists) embarked on an American tour; there were rumors they would play the Super Bowl; they did play the American Music Awards; and they released an album, Love Yourself: Her, which peaked in the seventh position on the Billboard 200, which at the time set a record for the highest-charting K-pop album in America. And this week, with the release of Love Yourself: Tear, the group’s well-reviewed follow-up, BTS smashed their own record, becoming the first K-pop band with an album claiming the top spot on the Billboard charts. (It’s also the first non-English-language record to top the chart since 2006, when Il Divo’s Ancora took No. 1.)

It might seem as though BTS emerged out of the ether in the past year, but they have been quietly positioning themselves for world domination since their debut in 2013. Charlie Puth is a fan; so are Ansel Elgort and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, who expressed his support for the group in a Facebook post on Monday. “This magical power turns grief into hope and differences into similarity,” Moon wrote, referring to the band’s alternate name, Bangtan Boys. “Bangtan, which literally means ‘bulletproof‘ in Korean, was born out of the will to protect teenagers from prejudice and oppression.” (Millie Bobby Brown, however, is not familiar.) They’ve cultivated an avid fan base—the A.R.M.Y., not to be confused with the Navy—whose mania Ellen DeGeneres compared, perhaps hyperbolically, to that surrounding the Beatles in the ’60s and who, as a recent post in The Ringer pointed out, have helped catalyze the group’s success. (Recall, Top Social Artist.) “Having a huge, highly engaged social media following is a globally recognized currency,” it wrote.

Related: A Rare, Exclusive Interview with Taemin, K-Pop’s Justin Bieber

As big as BTS are in the United States—as now evidenced in their recent Billboard success—they’re probably even bigger back home. This year alone, the group stole the grand prize at the Seoul Music Awards from fellow K-pop stars Exo, ending that band’s four-year winning streak, and BTS also won six Soompi awards, setting a new record. They’ve distinguished themselves with their self-written songs (still relatively uncommon in the notoriously controlling Korean music industry) and their gender-nonconforming style (their coordinating looks have run the gamut from pussy-bow blouses to black suits with chokers; they’re also Gucci fans and supporters of local Korean brands). Their music, for the most part, is written and performed in Korean, though the band’s members (of whom leader Rap Monster is the only English speaker) have considered rerecording some of their hits in English.

BTS’s major success with the release of Love Yourself: Tear is also the product of the steady rise in popularity of K-pop acts internationally since the genre emerged in the early ’00s. When TVXQ, the godfathers of K-pop, debuted in 2003, they quickly found major success in Japan; former 2NE1 frontwoman CL has become a darling of American fashion, regularly attending Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang shows, as well as a collaborator of Diplo, Skrillex, and Justin Bieber; and Wonder Girls, the girl group that disbanded in 2017, toured with the Jonas Brothers in 2009 and became the first K-pop band to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. (BTS then became the first K-pop band to enter the Top 40 of the Hot 100.) As the restrictions governing K-pop have slowly loosened their hold, it’s increasingly become the fans (and, alarmingly, the “anti-fans”) who are running the show. And when it comes to BTS, they’ve got an A.R.M.Y. at their back, streaming their songs and tweeting their support.

Related: See Girls’ Generation Decked Out in Gucci to Celebrate Their 10th Anniversery

Who’s Who: Meet the Beautiful People of Seoul Fashion Week

Joy from Red Velvet.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee, styled by Ye Young Kim. Joy from Red Velvet wears Lucky Chouette pullover, $248, wannabk.com; Thisisneverthat skirt, $51, intl.thisisneverthat.com; stylist’s own earrings. Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ho Sook Kwon. Producer: Biel Parklee. Local Production: Intoo Creative Group. Translator: Soo Ryn Lim.

Wendy from Red Velvet.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee, styled by Ye Young Kim.

Wendy from Red Velvet wears Moschino T-shirt, $550, moschino.com; Miu Miu tiara, $385, miumiu.com; We Who Prey choker, price upon request, wewhoprey.com. Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ho Sook Kwon. Producer: Biel Parklee. Local Production: Intoo Creative Group. Translator: Soo Ryn Lim.

Irene from Red Velvet.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee, styled by Ye Young Kim. Irene from Red Velvet wears Eyeye jacket, $240, eyeye-official.com; Oioi shirt, $43, oi-oi.co.kr; We Who Prey choker, price upon request, wewhoprey.com.

Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ho Sook Kwon. Producer: Biel Parklee. Local Production: Intoo Creative Group. Translator: Soo Ryn Lim.

Yeri from Red Velvet.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee, styled by Ye Young Kim. Yeri from Red Velvet wears Miu Miu dress, price upon request, miumiu.com. Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ho Sook Kwon. Producer: Biel Parklee. Local Production: Intoo Creative Group. Translator: Soo Ryn Lim.

Miu Miu dress, price upon request, miumiu.com.

Seul Gi from Red Velvet.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee, styled by Ye Young Kim.

Seul Gi from Red Velvet wears Oioi sweater, $68, oi-oi.co.kr. Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ho Sook Kwon. Producer: Biel Parklee. Local Production: Intoo Creative Group. Translator: Soo Ryn Lim.

The designer Kim Won Joong, 29, is a former model who has walked in the past for Prada and Kenzo but is now at the helm of his own line, 87MM, which he founded with fellow models Kim Chan and Park Jiwomn. The friends just wanted to sell their designs online, but they attracted such a cult following that 87MM (pronounced “eight-seven milli”) is now one of the most sought after menswear brands in Korea.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim. Kim Won Joong wears 87MM Seoul coat, $160, shirt, $68, hat, $36, socks, $8, and pants and shoes, prices upon request, 87mm.co.kr. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Oh Hyuk is the frontman of Hyukoh, an indie rock band signed to HIGHGRND, a music label founded by Korea’s most popular hip-hop group, Epik High. Hyukoh has put out two EPs since their start in 2014, and both have been chart-toppers (helped along by an appearance on South Korea’s biggest variety show “Infinite Challenge”). It might be because their mellow sound is a far cry from the plethora of over-produced K-pop.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim. Oh Hyuk wears Vetements jacket, $4,750, matchesfashion.com; SJYP T-shirt, price upon request, collection at ssense.com. Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ha Sook Kwon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee. Fashion Assistant: Hye Mi Paeng.

The singer Yoon Bo-ra, better known as Bora, is a member of the chart-topping girl group Sistar, and of the spinoff Sistar19. And because pop stardom in Korea is just a gateway to all corners of the entertainment industry, the 26-year old has also acted on a number of TV shows, including a web drama in which she plays the captain of a judo team, and was recently announced as the emcee of a new fashion show that will offer insights to her idol singer life. Not that her nearly one million Instagram followers can’t get that already on their phones.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

From left: Yoon Bo-ra wears 91,2 top, $252, vfiles.com. Yoon Bo-ra wears Acne Studios top, $440, and pants, $690, acnestudios.com; Miu Miu shoes, $620, miumiu.com.

Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ha Sook Kwon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee. Fashion Assistant: Hye Mi Paeng.

Born in Los Angeles, the actress Ye Seul Han, slid smoothly into Korean films and TV after winning a televised modeling competition in 2001. Since then, she’s proved a versatile talent, switching between drama and screwball comedy (she won several best new actress accolades for the 2007 romcom Miss Gold Digger).

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Ye Seul Han wears Isabel Marant top, $500, Isabel Marant, San Francisco, 415.781.0113; Prada earrings, $515, prada.com.

Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ha Sook Kwon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee. Fashion Assistant: Hye Mi Paeng.

As the host of Korea’s Next Top Model, Yoon Joo Jang is basically K-Pop’s answer to Tyra Banks. The 35-year-old began modeling nearly two decades ago, and in that time has released two albums and co-authored three books. Not one to slow down, she made her acting debut last year, in Ryoo Seung-wan’s crime thriller Veteran—which she promoted to her 944,000 Instagram followers, alongside pics of how she eats, travels, and of course, models.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

From left: Yoon Joo Jang wears Tchai Kim dress, skirt, and shoes, prices upon request, blog.naver.com/tchaikim; Nohant coat, $368, the-nohant.com. Yoon Joo Jang wears Thursday Island blouse, $222, thursdayisland.com.

Hair by Ji Sun Han, makeup by Ha Sook Kwon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee. Fashion Assistant: Hye Mi Paeng.

Since GFriend, or Girlfriend, released its first EP in January 2015, its six members have kept up a perfect, schoolgirl-uniformed synchrony—even when they are falling repeatedly on a rain-slicked stage during a performance in Seoul last fall; and even when a video of the incident went viral. That slippery start, though, ended up being just another showcase of the group’s ultra-coordinated professionalism: Now on their third EP, Yuju, Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, SinB, and Umji are still at the top of the charts, making them one of the only major faces of K-pop signed to a smaller label.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim. GFriend wears their own dresses; stylist’s own shirts.

Hair by Han Ji Sun, makeup by Won Jo Yeon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Bizzy, Mi Rae, and Tiger JK of the MFBTY rap collective—as in, My Fans [Are] Better Than Yours. They were later absorbed into the Drunken Tiger Collective in 2013, but their superior fans continue to refer them as MFBTY.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

From left: Bizzy wears Stereo Vinyls jacket, $162, stereo-shop.com. Yoon Mi-rae wears Stereo Vinyls sweatshirt, $59, stereo-shop.com. Tiger JK wears his own clothing.

Hair by Han Ji Sun, makeup by Won Jo Yeon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Bak Jun Young, or Bizzy, is a founding pillar of Korean hip-hop. Much the 36-year old rapper’s work, though, stays behind the scenes: He’s a prolific songwriter and producer for major Korean acts like YDG and Kim Wan Sun.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Bizzy wears Prada jacket, price upon request, prada.com.

Hair by Han Ji Sun, makeup by Won Jo Yeon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Rapper Tiger JK, of Drunken Tiger, is the one to thank for bringing the hip-hop movement to Korea. The founder and former CEO of Feel Ghood Music, he’s not only had a successful music career of his own with wife and collaborator Yoon Mi-Rae, but also launched the careers of other K-hip-hop stars. Think of him as the Korean Lucious Lyon.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Tiger JK wears Gucci dressing gown, $5,490, and shirt, $850, gucci.com.

Hair by Han Ji Sun, makeup by Won Jo Yeon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

The wife of Tiger JK and third member of Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mi-rae, 34, is a Texas-born rapper who debuted in South Korea at the age of 16. Beyond their shared musical career, Yoon Mi-rae and Tiger JK have one son together.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Yoon Mi-rae wears Gucci jacket, $3,860, pants, $850, and, shirt, $910, gucci.com.

Hair by Han Ji Sun, makeup by Won Jo Yeon. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Stephanie Young Hwang, better known as Tiffany, and sometimes known intimately on the Internet to her 2.5 million Instagram followers as Fany, is part of the pop juggernaut Girls Generation, which is like a normal-sized girl group, plus three (or sometimes four) more. In fact, the group was big enough to spin off a super subgroup, Girls Generation-TTS, featuring the three best vocalists, among them Tiffany, 26. Might she just be in the running for a stellar solo career, a la Bey?

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Stephanie Young Hwang wears SJYP shirt and skirt, prices upon request, collection at ssense.com.

Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Choi Jeong Hwa, 55, has garnered plenty of comparisons to Pop artists since he first burst onto the Seoul art scene a decade ago, thanks mostly to his brightly colored irreverence with materials. (Think plastic bottles, dollar-store dishware, and Iron Man masks.) Hwa’s super-sized ambition is equally modern: His installations have included 1,000 doors piled ten stories high, and two million pieces of trash strung in dignified garlands—on the Seoul Olympic Stadium, no less.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

Choi Jeong Hwa wears OUI Paname T-shirt, $45, park-store.co.kr.

Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

The DJ Peggy Gould is also a street style star, stylist, illustrator, and London correspondent for Harper’s Bazaar Korea. In other words, she is like most fashionable DJs: she dabbles in the art of being a woman about town.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

DJ Peggy Gould wears Used Future hoodie and pants, $68 each, usedfutureeshop.com; Thisisneverthat hat, $43, intl.thisisneverthat.com.

Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

The supermodel Jung Ho Yeon, 23, came in second on Korea’s Next Top Model in 2013, but the red-haired beauty is the top bet to cross over in New York and Europe. Like Cara Delevingne, her goofy selfies—not to mention her street style stardom—have won her a sizable fan base, with over 250k followers.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim. Model: Jung Ho Yeon.

Jung Ho Yeon wears SJYP T-shirt, overalls, and boots, prices upon request, collection at ssense.com.

Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

The model-turned-actress Seung Ah Yun, 32, turned into a huge star during her run on the hit TV show “Playful Kiss.” She got even more attention for drunken tweets sent by the actor Kim Moo Yeol, outing their secret relationship. The story has a happy ending, though—they got married last year. There’s no drama like K-drama.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim.

From left: Seung Ah Yung wears Tchai Kim dress, pants, and shoes, prices upon request, blog.naver.com/tchaikim. Seung Ah Yung wears Low Classic jacket, price upon request, and T-shirt, $49, collection at openingceremony.com.

Hair by Hye Young Lee. Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

Since meeting in London where they were both studying fashion, the husband-and-wife designer duo Steve J & Yoni P, who are flanked here by the supermodel Ho Yeon Jung (left) and the stylist Ye Young Kim, have built their denim brand into one of the hottest tickets at Seoul Fashion Week. Their hip-hop inspired pieces, carried by the likes of Opening Ceremony and 10 Corso Como Seoul, have a feminine touch and a light sense of humor; and they’re coveted by Korean celebrity devotees, not to mention their 100k-plus followers on Instagram.

Photo by Peter Ash Lee. Styled by Ye Young Kim. Model: Jung Ho Yeon.

From left: Ho Yeon Jung wears SJYP jacket, price upon request, collection at ssense.com. Yoni P wears SJYP coat, T-shirt, and boots, prices upon request, collection at ssense.com. Steve J wears SJYP jacket, T-shirt, and overalls, prices upon request, collection at ssense.com. Ye Young Kim wears SJYP jacket, price upon request, collection at ssense.com.

Production and Casting by Intoo Creative Group, Uni Yang, and Roian. Photo Editor: Biel Parklee.

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