BTS chosen as Time’s 25 Most Influential People for third year

Korean idol group BTS was chosen as the 25 Most Influential People by Time magazine for the third consecutive year. Time has been releasing the list, which assesses influential by global scale, news generation and impact, since 2015.

“South Korean supergroup BTS are well on their way to becoming a household name—if they aren’t already—thanks to their millions-strong fanbase of digital natives, called “ARMY,” who avidly consume and promote their content online. In 2019, having helped BTS top Billboard’s Social Artist chart for over two years, the ARMY propelled the group’s members to even greater success,” Time reported.

“Among the group’s latest accolades: releasing three Billboard No. 1 albums in a single year; debuting the “Boy With Luv” music video, which logged a record-setting 75 million views in its first 24 hours,” Time explained.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, recently known for his racial comments having said “Go back to your country” to first elected House representatives, and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, a House member with Puerto Rico background also joined the list. Time said that ”Trump’s tweets initiate a feedback loop of cable news segments, Google search results and online news stories, allowing his online influence to dwarf that of his political rivals.”

Taek Kyoon Sohn sohn@donga.com