Why BTS fans are called ARMY

The biggest K-Pop stars, BTS, revealed on Monday that they will sign up for Korea’s mandatory military service, with Jin starting the process at the end of October.

The decision was made following several months of unconfirmed reports and back-and-forth between the band and the South Korean government.

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In an official statement, HYBE, the label behind the world’s biggest K-Pop band, BTS stated, “Both the company and the members of BTS are looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.” The label also stated that the 29-year-old Jin will go through the Korean government’s enlistment process.

Why BTS fans are called ARMY?

The fandom name ARMY or A.R.M.Y stands for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth”, the name basically means that ARMY is the military while BTS is the armor, which is a metaphor for how the band and fans will always be together.

Its meaning is straightforward: BTS are their generation’s bulletproof shield, ready and willing to defend them against any slander. It’s also reflected in their official symbol, which resembles a shield, especially when combined with the ARMYs’ complementary symbol.

Also Read| BTS military service: Enlistment and exemption debate explained

ARMY, however, was not the first choice for BTS’ fandom name. BTS’s leader, RM, revealed in a July 2021 interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that the fandom was almost named “The Bells” because the first syllable of the band’s name (bang) and the first syllable of the word “bell” in Korean are the same. The band eventually settled on ARMY. RM expressed his delight at the name change, saying that ARMY was far better compared.

BTS’s relationship with its ARMY fandom is extremely important. It demonstrates how powerful a fan’s love and care for an artist can be, as well as the power a group of fans can have when they all come together.