SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - BTS’s global influence owes much to ARMY, a fan community that has shaped its identity around promoting dignity, civility, and mutual respect — and translating those values into coordinated digital action.
From the beginning, ARMY’s devotion centered on music and performance. Over time, however, it evolved into something more durable: a digitally organized, transnational community capable of mobilizing across languages, platforms, and borders. What began as fandom has, in many cases, matured into a form of civic-minded participation.
Since around 2017, as BTS expanded its global tours and sharpened its social messaging, informal networks of translators, regional coordinators, and content curators emerged. These structures were not centrally designed. They formed organically, shaped by shared norms and collective purpose.
By the early 2020s, scholars and international media were no longer viewing ARMY merely as a cultural phenomenon. It was increasingly analyzed as a functioning digital ecosystem.
When Hashtags Became a Public Square
That transformation became visible in 2020, amid racial justice protests in the United States.
K-pop fans, including BTS supporters, flooded extremist and anti-protest hashtags with fan content, effectively pushing hateful material out of public view. The tactic, known as “hashtag hijacking,” was analyzed by Australia’s Lowy Institute and reported by Al Jazeera as a form of decentralized digital activism.
Participation was voluntary and informal. Yet the response was swift, coordinated, and sustained. It reflected years of accumulated experience in navigating online platforms, managing information flows, and maintaining internal discipline.
In moments of social tension, ARMY demonstrated an ability to act collectively without centralized command — a hallmark of mature digital communities.
A Network Mapped by Research
Academic research has since documented how that coordination works.
A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in Telematics and Informatics examined ARMY’s Twitter ecosystem and found a distributed structure organized around core information hubs, translation accounts, and amplification nodes.
“The BTS ARMY network is sustained by a systematic structure of key players who voluntarily play distinct roles within the network, represented as subsystems of the VSM framework.” the authors note, highlighting how different accounts contribute to coordination and diffusion. The VSM (Viable System Model) refers to a framework used to describe how organizations sustain themselves through differentiated yet interconnected roles.
In practice, this structure is reflected in how information flows across the network.
Rather than functioning as a loose collection of fans, the network operates through layered channels that enable rapid cross-border communication. Messages originating in Seoul can be translated, contextualized, and circulated worldwide within minutes.
The researchers described the system as decentralized, resilient, and highly adaptive — qualities more commonly associated with professional organizations than fan communities.
25 Hours, $1 Million
The network’s fundraising capacity became globally visible in June 2020.
After BTS donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, fans launched the #MatchAMillion campaign and raised a matching sum in roughly 25 hours. The effort mobilized tens of thousands of participants across multiple continents.
The campaign was supported by One In An ARMY, a fan-led nonprofit group founded in 2018 that coordinates charitable projects in partnership with established organizations.
“If not 24 hours than 100M in 25 hours. We did it for #MatchAMillion. We can do it for #BTS_Dynamite,” an international fan wrote on X in August 2020, referring to ARMY’s earlier #MatchAMillion campaign and encouraging other fans to work together to reach streaming goals.
Media outlets including Reuters and VICE cited the group’s systematic approach to fan-driven philanthropy.
The episode underscored that ARMY’s capacity for mobilization was not spontaneous. It reflected a culture of preparation, transparency, and accountability that had been built over years.
From Global Campaigns to Local Communities
ARMY’s engagement has also taken root at the community level.
In 2022, a fan collective known as Adorable Wave (A-Wave) partnered with South Korea’s Happy Alliance to support children facing food insecurity. The initiative coincided with BTS’s ninth debut anniversary and was funded entirely through voluntary contributions.
According to organizers, the project was designed as an ongoing program rather than a symbolic gesture. It demonstrated how digital coordination could translate into sustained offline support.
“The emergency fundraising campaign for flood victims conducted by Hope Bridge and Adorable Wave has ended. The total amount raised, 920,800 won, was delivered to Hope Bridge on August 10,” according to Adorable Wave’s official Instagram post, with the donation certificate listing “BTS ARMY + Adorable Wave” as donors.
Similar initiatives have since appeared in multiple countries, tailored to local social needs while remaining connected to the broader global network.
Aligning with Institutions
This evolution has been reinforced by BTS’s institutional partnerships.
In 2017, the group launched the “LOVE MYSELF” campaign with UNICEF, promoting self-respect, mental well-being, and violence prevention among youth. The partnership was renewed in 2021.
Fans amplified the initiative through donations, educational campaigns, and social media advocacy, aligning grassroots activity with an established international framework.
“Choose respect. Choose support. Choose kindness. Proud to be an army.” An anonymous fan wrote under HYBE LABELS’ official video “BTS LOVE MYSELF Global Campaign.”
Another non-Korean fan commented, “People have happy, sad and painful stories. We want to take those stories and make them into music.”
On the official UNICEF YouTube channel, support extended beyond admiration to recognition of impact. “It's rare to find artists who genuinely care about their music's impact. BTS is that once in a lifetime group to push for change in a world that really needs it.” The comment drew more than 5,000 likes.
One fan thanked BTS. "They save my life, their music heals me. Thank you UNICEF for share this important message with BTS.”
The collaboration provided ARMY with both moral direction and practical channels for engagement, strengthening the link between fandom and public service.
When Fandom Becomes Digital Power
Taken together, these developments reveal a consistent pattern.
ARMY functions as a decentralized system composed of curators, translators, organizers, and amplifiers. Information circulates through trusted nodes, reducing misinformation and maintaining internal coherence.
Fandom may begin with emotional attachment. It endures through organization.
Large-scale campaigns persist not because of constant enthusiasm, but because institutional memory has been established. Knowledge is passed on. Practices are refined. Standards are enforced informally but effectively.
A BTS concert lasts only a few hours. ARMY’s collective efforts have stretched across nearly a decade — from the LOVE MYSELF campaign in 2017 to #MatchAMillion in 2020 and community outreach in subsequent years.
What has emerged is not merely loyalty, but continuity.
Today, ARMY stands as one of the most sophisticated fan ecosystems in global popular culture. It illustrates how digitally connected communities can coordinate, adapt, and sustain collective action without formal hierarchy.
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