Seoul city to turn purple to celebrate 10th anniversary of BTS next month

SEOUL — Major landmarks in Seoul will be turned purple next month in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the K-pop superband BTS since its debut.

According to music industry sources, Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind the group, and the Seoul metropolitan government are discussing jointly holding various events to commemorate the anniversary, reports Yonhap.

Creating a special event place, called ‘ARMY Road’, after the name of the band’s global fandom, at the city’s major landmarks is also one of the plans in discussion, the sources said.

City officials expect the events will help boost Seoul’s tourism industry, which has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BTS has been holding its own commemorative events and festival weeks around its debut day, which falls on June 13. Even during the period when large in-person events could not be held due to the pandemic, it had large-scale online meet-and-greet events for fans to interact with other fans around the world.

As this year is a significant year marking its 10th anniversary, similar events are expected to be held even though some members are on their mandatory military duty.

“We’re going to announce when our plans for the events are decided,” a Hybe official said on condition of anonymity.

The K-pop septet will release a memoir, titled ‘Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS’ in honour of its 10th anniversary in South Korea and the United States, and a commemorative stamp in the home country.