In a recent interview, BTS was candid about when their fans made them feel more proud.
As the group's popularity continues to grow, the passionate support and dedication of the BTS fandom has attracted media attention from around the world. Idols have shown their remarkable influence in several ways: last year, their Twitter account became Korea's first account to reach 10 million followers. Besides breaking records in the national lists of Korea, the group has managed to set new records in several international lists as well.
The powerful influence of BTS has also manifested itself in more unusual ways. In 2016, the sales of the classic novel "Demian" by Hermann Hesse soared after the group incorporated themes and excerpts from the book on their return to the album "WINGS".
When asked what aspect of their influence made them feel more proud, Jin commented that he was especially happy to see his fans learning the Korean language and being interested in Korean culture.
"When we travel abroad to meet our fans, many of them tell us that they learned Korean so they could talk to us when we met," he explained. "When I see fans studying Korean and trying to learn more about Korean culture, it makes me think that we were able to introduce Korea to more people, and I feel proud."
Jungkook responded by sharing an interaction with a fan that had left a deep impression on him. "Recently I recorded and published a version of 'Breathe' by Lee Hi online," he recalled. "I sang the song to [comfort] both me and our fans, and one fan wrote in the comments: 'Today I was going to give up everything, but instead I'll try to start over'. I was grateful that we were able to give strength to our fans even through a small action. "
Meanwhile, Jimin shared a different story about the positive influence of BTS. "My cousin is a BTS fan," he revealed. "Then my aunt told her that if she studied hard and did well in school, she would give her a CD and I would talk to her on the phone."
She added with a smile: "She has been the first place in her entire school since then".