BTS Uses Their Weverse Series to Teach Fans Korean
With everyone on lockdown, now is a great time to shape up your career skills and learning a different language can be a real feather in your hat. But instead of trying to make it happen with boring books and audio tapes, how about giving it a go with the pop band BTS? The band announced it will be making 30 Korean language lessons available on the social media app Weverse starting today, March 24.
Each episode will last three minutes and it will give users tips on Korean grammar and expressions. The program was developed by researchers at the Korean Language Content Institute and Professor Heo Yong of the Department of Korean Education at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The idea was inspired by BTS fans’ requests for the band to add subtitles to their videos.
Big Hit Entertainment is the company responsible for managing BTS. Here is what founder Bang Si-Hiuk had to say of the lesson program. “There are only limited ways our fans could learn Korean with ease. Big Hit has created Korean learning media using artist content for a more rewarding and immersive experience for our fans. The episodes are designed to make it fun and easy for global fans who have difficulty enjoying BTS’ music and content due to the language barrier.”
In addition to offering Korean lessons, the BTS series will feature material from the band’s reality show, Run BTS and their You Tube series Bangtan Bombs.
BTS is a Korean boy band from Seoul, S. Korea. They formed in 2010 as a hip hop group but have since branched out musically to include a wide range of genres. Their lyrics typically focus on personal and social commentary, the issues kids face growing up and themes of mental health.
Beyond being a musical success, the band has also branched out into other types of media including films, television, online shows and exhibitions. BTS: Bon Voyage and their Bring the Soul Docuseries are both online shows brought to fans care of Weverse, the Big Hit Entertainment platform that connects fans with BTS and their other artists like Seventeen, Gfriend and TXT.
The app is free to use but it does require an account sign up.
Musically, BTS have recently released their seventh studio album, Map of the Soul, in February of this year. They were planning a tour in support of the album but have since canceled their dates due to the spread of the coronavirus. The album debuted at number one on the RS charts in March.
With most of the music industry dormant as far as live shows during the health scare, many are getting creative in reaching fans through online mediums. BTS’ plan to offer Korean lessons is a great way to keep their presence alive while giving people a way to improve their personal and professional skills. We wish the band the best of luck in their current venture.
