BTS, Arirang, and the Structure of Participation
Why did thousands of people sing Arirang during a BTS concert without fully understanding the lyrics? AEP International Archive Arirang Series Part 1 of 4 Written by YohanChoi Observe. Record. Understand. Series Context This article is the opening essay of the AEP Arirang Series. The series began with a simple observation. During a BTS concert in the United States, thousands of people sang Arirang together. Most of them did not fully understand the lyrics. Many were not Korean. Some may not even have pronounced every word correctly. Yet the moment did not feel awkward. It felt natural. This series begins with a question: How can people participate in something before they fully understand it? Before the Question At first, the scene seemed impossible. A Korean folk song. An American stadium. Thousands of voices singing together. Many of them did not understand the words. Yet almost everyone seemed to understand the moment. Something was happening before explanation. This essay begins th...