Global BTS conference to explore next chapter of Korean wave

From left, J-Hope, Jin and V from K-pop boy band BTS acknowledge fans past Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum from the balcony of the National Palace at Zocalo square in Mexico City, May 6. AFP-Yonhap

As K-pop juggernaut BTS enters a new era following the release of its latest album, "ARIRANG," scholars from around the world will gather in Korea to examine the group's cultural influence through fandom, technology, politics and globalization.

The fifth BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference will take place Thursday and Friday at the International Convention Center of Jeonbuk National University, under the theme "The Next Generation Hallyu & BTS." Hallyu refers to the Korean wave.

Hosted by the International Society for BTS Studies (ISBS), the conference will bring together 50 presenters from 10 countries, including Korea, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mongolia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia and Japan. The event is co-organized by Jeonbuk National University's Namwon Glocal Campus Administration, Center for Glocal University Project, department of K-entertainment and Big Movement.

Opening the conference, Lee Ji-haeng, professor of K-entertainment at Jeonbuk National University, will deliver the keynote address exploring the cultural significance of BTS' "new chapter" after military service. His presentation will examine how fandom, digital technology, global communication and civic engagement continue to shape the group's influence.

The two-day conference features 11 academic sessions covering subjects ranging from fan communities and digital technologies to philosophy, sustainability and religion.

A special opening session will feature an interview with filmmaker Bao Nguyen, director of the Netflix documentary "BTS: The Return." Nguyen has described BTS' military hiatus and reunion as a modern-day Odyssey, while emphasizing that the documentary deliberately avoids simplifying Korean culture or BTS for Western audiences.

A poster for the fifth BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference, hosted by the International Society for BTS Studies (ISBS) / Courtesy of ISBS

Other sessions will explore how K-pop continues to evolve across cultures. One panel revisits locality and globalization through BTS and language, while another examines Latin identity in HYBE's global group Santos Bravos, alongside Mongolia's post-nomadic Korean wave phenomenon. Additional presentations investigate artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content in fan communities, digital technologies, gender identity and changing forms of fan participation.

A special session organized by Dongguk University's Hallyu Convergence Academy will also examine the sustainability of "post-hallyu," focusing on locally driven cultural ecosystems, generative AI on platforms such as TikTok and emerging forms of digital creativity.

Beyond academic presentations, attendees will be able to watch "Forever We Are Young," a documentary centered on BTS fans, followed by a conversation with director Grace Lee and scholars.

The conference will conclude with a traditional performance by a Jeonju "pansori" (Korean folk opera) singer reinterpreting the "ARIRANG" album. Organizers said the performance reflects both the conference's host city, known for its traditional cultural heritage, and BTS' renewed engagement with Korean identity.

Following the conference, participants will join an "ARMY Tour" featuring visits to BTS-related sites in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, and hands-on experiences making traditional Korean "hanji" (Korean traditional paper) fans.

Launched in 2020 at Kingston University in the United Kingdom, the annual conference has since been held in partnership with California State University, Northridge, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the University of Malaya, growing into an international academic network dedicated to studying BTS and the contemporary Korean wave.