Ami-dong to 'ARMY-dong': Busan transforms neighborhood for BTS world tour

A promotional image for the "ARMY comes to Ami" campaign proposed by the Busan Seo District Council / Courtesy of Busan Seo District Council

As BTS prepares for its highly anticipated world tour, a local district in Busan is capitalizing on a shared name to develop a new pilgrimage site for international fans.

Seo District is pushing a campaign to transform Ami-dong — a neighborhood whose name sounds identical to the BTS fandom, ARMY — into a dedicated destination before the pop icons perform in the port city on June 12 and 13.

District Council member Kim Byeng-gune proposed the "ARMY comes to Ami" campaign during a plenary session last month. He cited the organic success of Daegok Station on Subway Line 3 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, which has turned into a popular spot for Japanese tourists seeking to take photos, as its Chinese characters coincide with those in the name of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.

BTS performs during the "BTS Yet to Come in Busan" concert, held to support the city's bid for the 2030 World Expo, at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Yeonje District, Busan, Oct. 15, 2022. Courtesy of BigHit Music

As massive fan events transform Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square for the group's March 21 comeback performance, Seo District aims to establish photo zones and pop-up stores in Ami-dong to capture its own impending tourism wave.

The district plans to install landscape lighting in purple — the official color of the group and its fans — at the Mount Cheonma observatory. Officials are also consulting with the National Institute of Korean Language to possibly change the neighborhood's official English spelling from "AMI" to "ARMY."

The initiative will connect the new fan spaces to existing local attractions, including Gamcheon Culture Village, often called the Santorini of Busan, the historical Tombstone Culture Village built over a former public cemetery, Mount Cheonma and the local Ami Catholic Church.

The neighborhood already shares a tangible connection with the group. In late January, ahead of the Lunar New Year, BTS member Jimin — a Busan native from Geumjeong District — donated 200 boxes of ramen worth 3 million won ($2,084) to low-income households, residents with disabilities and elderly people living alone in Seo District, including Ami-dong.

"In hopes that BTS will continue to thrive after their return, we are preparing to develop various programs that will maintain the connection with our region," Seo District Vice Head Kim Jae-hak said.

General view of Ami-dong in Busan / Courtesy of Seo District Office

Following the Seoul performance, the BTS world tour kicks off at Goyang Stadium from April 9 to 12 before moving to Busan in June.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.