Who likes BTS? A survey of 400,000 fans around the world

BTS / Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

By David A. Tizzard

The 19th century French dramatist, Alfred de Musset, once remarked, "Great artists have no country." He was correct.

A sociological survey on more than 400,000 BTS fans took place between July and September 2020, and the results were finally released last week. To ensure maximum exposure, the survey was translated into 46 different languages and featured responses from over 100 countries and territories.

What did we learn from it? Quite a lot actually. Of course the survey is not representative of "every" BTS fan from around the world, but academics can only dream of getting close to half a million respondents for their research.

I frequently read academic peer-reviewed pieces making all sorts of claims about K-Pop fandom after dealing with only anywhere between 6 to 20 people. Thus, in terms of logistics, organization, and cooperation, the people behind the survey (Chaviva Grover, Roxana Ciocirlea, and Nicole Santero) should be applauded for both their efforts and achievements. This survey is some serious stuff.

And so who likes BTS?

Over 80,000 of the 400,000-plus people in the survey were from Indonesia and, at 20 percent, Indonesia had the most BTS fans anywhere in the world. Other represented territories included Mexico (10.6 percent), the United States (8.4 percent), Peru (5.12 percent), and the Philippines (4.5 percent).

The fact that Indonesia has so many fans is not a surprise to those who follow the field. However, it does highlight the question of why some people are disappointed that local Korean coverage is largely only focused on K-pop's success and reach into North America and Europe. Honestly, when you see K-pop hashtags trending on Twitter or read that Stray Kids, ATEEZ, and NCT 127 have garnered another ten million YouTube videos, the reason is more likely to be found in Jakarta than it is in Jamsil or New Jersey.

A mere 3.7 percent (14,996 people) of the fans surveyed were from here in Korea. While the survey does acknowledge penetration issues and getting access to Korean platforms, it seems to suggest that Korea's most famous cultural product of the last few years is enjoyed more by those overseas than it is by people here.

This result is something that mirrors my own experiences. Teaching Hallyu and K-Pop at two different universities here in South Korea for a few years, I can count on one hand the number of Korean students who have openly proclaimed themselves a member of a K-pop fan group. For the international students, however, their interest in the course is often driven by the fact that they are openly BTS ARMY, EXO-L, BLINK, or Monbebe ― the names of popular K-pop fan clubs.

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With the survey being conducted mainly on social media, the majority of the respondents were young. Over half of the BTS ARMY that took part (50.31 percent; 202,704) were under 18 years of age; those aged 18-29 accounted for 42.59 percent (171,599). BTS ARMY in their 30s or 40s only totaled 4.24 percent and 2.02 percent respectively.

In terms of gender, a whopping 86.34 percent (348,377) identified as female, while only 11.3 percent were male. In a sign of the times, 2,962 respondents identified as non-binary. Decades of research has demonstrated how pop music is largely targeted at girls, that the soft masculinity in K-pop appeals more to girls, and how many boys might seek to dissociate themselves from K-pop out of fear of social stigmatization.

But these findings do speak volumes. From a statistical perspective, the average BTS fan is more likely to be a young Indonesian girl than any other demographic. And, for anyone unsure, that fact is something to be recognized rather than ignored.

Looking at some of the other data, 21,450 BTS ARMY members were parents, 1 in 5 have some form of college degree, 0.57 percent have a PhD, and 76.46 percent said that they were either unemployed or students.

The research had the stated goal of not only better understanding BTS fans, but also moving "Beyond The Stereotypes." They are right to do so.

The fact that they are young means about as much as the fact that old people like opera, and the fact that they are women is about as relevant as the majority of chess players being men. Different people like different things. The things that they enjoy should not be denigrated purely because they are a particular age, gender, or ethnicity. Difference should be celebrated and acknowledged, rather than ignored in the hope of seeking a single normative standard.

As the initial reflections from the BTS ARMY census team suggest, BTS fans see themselves as an intelligent, tech-savvy social force achieving good in the world, demonstrated by their involvement in UNICEF, Black Lives Matter, and other international philanthropic efforts.

From a personal perspective, and as an academic based in South Korea that researches and teaches K-Pop and Hallyu, I only wish that domestic Korean-language media more accurately presented information to the population like this census has provided. Most reports, whether on TV or in print, like to associate BTS' success in terms of conquering "white America."

But to paraphrase Scroobius Pip, "Thou shalt give equal worth to successes that occur in non-English speaking countries as to those that occur in English-speaking countries."

Korean-language media reports often only serve to reinforce established hegemonic cultural positions rather than challenge them. They play into domestic ideas that those countries with a predominantly white population are more worthy of attention than those without.

This overvaluing of countries with a majority white population, of course, is not a message that should be reinforced in the 21st century. Yes, American BTS ARMY fans, or those anywhere in the world, should not be ignored, but we should also be more cognizant of the reality and sources of K-Pop's current and possible success.

Perhaps doing so would be a truly revolutionary act, as well as something that helps shape and construct a new world order…if that's what we want.

Dr. David A Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.