“Do you know BTS?”
- SUGA
While the above was said jokingly, a little tongue-in-cheek, as a reply in an interview to the question “What’s your best pick-up line?”, it’s become an iconic part of our fandom’s culture. It also raises an interesting question for BTS ARMY itself.
Do WE know BTS?
The obvious answer is: “Yes, of course!” We’re ARMY, we love them. And these days, if you don’t know who BTS is… well, we hope the rock you’re living under is nice (even though it clearly doesn’t have good WiFi).
BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boy Scouts), is a global phenomenon. They have topped charts all over the world (both as a group and as solo artists); they’ve won a staggering amount of awards, and they’ve been the most prominent forerunners of spreading Korean music and culture around the globe. Their success is undeniable, their influence nearly incalculable. These facts are easy to see. But…
Do we KNOW BTS?
When our founder, Stefne, began ARMY Project 529 (AP529), it was with one goal in mind: keeping BTS ARMY together and engaged while the members of BTS are serving in the Korean military. She asked the question: “Starting in 2024, how do we fill the 529 days until they return? How do we stay connected with BTS and with each other?”
The answer was, of course, to get to know each other. Let’s get to know each other through BTS, and let’s do it by exploring the ten plus years we have of their career so far.
As she planned, and talked about her idea, it started to grow… fast. Those of us watching her on TikTok or talking in her Discord responded enthusiastically. “This is amazing! I want to join!” And, “How can we help?”
How it all started
Enter a group of wildly different, but equally enthusiastic women now known as AP529’s Admin Team.
What started out as helping to organize some content on Stefne’s blog, creating a few Google documents, and putting together a newsletter for a small group of BTS ARMY, quickly turned into managing a growing team of volunteers and building a website to house all of our content.
So here we are now. AP529’s ongoing goal is to bring BTS ARMY together. To celebrate BTS, and to REALLY get to know them and each other. Each week, our blog, “The 529 Connection” will take us on a guided chronological journey (“Monday Muster”) through all of the amazing content BTS has given us over the last decade and beyond.
Staying Connected
Sign up for our newsletter so that you know exactly when a new Connection drops. You can choose to watch each week’s content one day at a time, or all at once; it’s up to you! There are plenty of extras on each stop of the Connection, and invitations for discussion and interaction with us on Social Media. Stefne hosts live streams across many of our platforms at the end of each week, sometimes featuring fellow BTS ARMY creator guests! We have periodic giveaways, host gatherings on our Discord server, and are always sparking TONS of conversation.
So, no matter if you’ve been a fan for years, or if you’re a Baby ARMY just getting your legs under you… AP529 asks once more: