The dedicated fanbase of the global K-pop sensation BTS, known as ARMY, has been praised for behaving responsibly after the boy group’s 10th anniversary celebration. The fans cleaned the venue after the event, displaying a high level of responsibility and respect for public spaces.
On June 17th, BTS celebrated their 10th debut anniversary with a massive event called 2023 BTS 10th Anniversary Festa @ Yeouido held at Hangang Park in Seoul. The event attracted an estimated 400,000 people, including 120,000 international fans, according to HYBE, the group’s management company. Despite the massive gathering, the venue was left spotless because of ARMY’s concerted efforts.
BTS‘s leader, RM, took to Instagram to express his gratitude towards the fans and staff members for what they did at Hangang Park. He posted a screenshot of a news article about the cleanup on his Instagram Story and thanked the ARMY and the staff for their efforts. “To all the staff, and proud ARMYs, Thank You,” he wrote.
In an interview with Korean media, a street cleaner confirmed the fans’ efforts. “We were tasked to clean the place by 12 o’clock, but there was no trash left,” they said.
The fans’ initiative to clean up after the event was widely praised by netizens. Photos of the clean venue went viral on social media.
thank you army who were there attending festa celebrations. thank you for being conducive, thank you for keeping yeouido clean. namjoon is proud of you, proud of us 🥹💜 pic.twitter.com/YkXsxmL5Uj
— sushi⁷ (@taejoonpersona) June 27, 2023
ARMY’s actions sparked a wave of positive comments online, with many expressing their admiration for what the fans did.
There were millions of safety staff, everyone was so kind and well known about their duty.
Tentative toilets were everywhere.
After the whole festa, the place was ABSOLUTELY CLEAN cuz all Armys kept the manner, which was the most impressive thing 🥺💜— haenamsweetpotato (@HNsweetpotato) June 18, 2023
I spoke to my director in work about festa (as she loves BTS too.) and she said it made K-news about how impressed Koreans were about how clean Yeouido was after the event 🥹💜 ARMYS are just 🫶🏻 I’m proud of us 🫶🏻
— Becky⁷🍓🤟🏻 (peeking) (@springxtae) June 20, 2023
ARMY’s actions reflect not only their dedication to BTS but also their commitment to maintaining order in public spaces, setting a good example for fans worldwide. The 10th-anniversary celebration of BTS was proof of the band’s enduring global popularity and their fans’ maturity. The event was so well-managed that it made headlines in South Korea and beyond.
This isn’t the first time ARMY was lauded for cleanliness. In October 2022, some fans organized a fantastic event to celebrate BTS member Jimin‘s 27th birthday. They gathered at Gwangali Beach in Busan for what they dubbed a “plogging” program, an activity that combined picking up trash with jogging. A nonprofit organization called EARTH SAVE spearheaded the project. After clearing the beach of litter, ARMYs gathered for a photo session and shouted, “We purple Busan.”
Busan, being the hometown of Jimin and Jungkook, made that project more meaningful.
(Featured Image: The official BTS Twitter account run by the group’s label posted a photo of RM in Hangang Park on the day of the event. Source: Twitter/BTS’s official Twitter account)
