BTS is 10 years old: Seoul landmarks lit up in purple to celebrate K-pop band's anniversary
Fans of K-pop boy band BTS share a moment at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza as purple lights mark the 10th anniversary of the group's debut as a part of 'BTS Festa' Monday in Seoul, South Korea. The group is currently on hiatus as band members complete their compulsory military service and plan to reunite in 2025. Credit: Getty Images / Chung Sung-Jun
Skyscrapers, bridges and other landmarks in South Korea’s capital were lit up in purple on Monday as the country begins celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-pop band BTS, whose global popularity is a source of national pride.
The lights provided the backdrop for various social media-driven events marking the 2013 debut of the seven-member group, which is now taking a hiatus as its singers begin to serve their mandatory military duties.
On Monday evening, numerous Seoul structures, including City Hall, the 123-story Lotte World Tower, several Han River bridges, and the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) — a Zaha Hadid-designed aluminum and concrete dome that’s often used for visual art — were bathed in purple, a color associated with BTS, according to city officials and the group’s management company, Hybe.
Messages congratulating BTS were displayed on digital screens in buildings across Seoul, while postal authorities issued stamps marking the group’s anniversary, which will be available at post offices starting Tuesday.
Seoul officials hope that the celebrations, which will continue for around two weeks, will boost tourism. The city has designated more than a dozen sites associated with BTS, including places where the group held major performances or shot some of their famous videos.
Fireworks are planned at a park near the Han River the night of June 17, hours after one of the BTS singers, RM, holds a live talk with fans that will be broadcast online.
Quickly garnering huge followings in Asia following their debut, BTS' popularity expanded across the globe with their 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made it the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100. BTS has since performed in sold-out arenas around the world and was invited to speak at United Nations meetings, supported by a legion of global followers who call themselves “ARMY.”
A model shows sheets of postage stamps marking the 10th debut anniversary of K-pop band BTS at a post office in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 12, 2023. Post offices start selling the stamps Tuesday. Credit: AP/Ahn Young-joon
BTS’ activities as a full group are currently on hold as the artists begin to serve in the military. Two BTS singers — Jin and J-Hope — have already started their compulsory 18-month service and other members are to follow in coming months, which likely means the group will reconvene around 2025.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in uniform 18 to 21 months under a system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.
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