| This week, Seoul marks 10 years of megastars BTS, the supergroup credited with bringing K-pop into the global mainstream and generating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy.
They've been called "icons of progressive globalism", were once South Korean presidential envoys, and did everything, from Korean Air in-flight safety videos to campaigning for Unicef.
At heart, however, they're entertainers.
Here are facts to know about BTS:
Who is BTS?
BTS - the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan which translates to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts" - is a K-pop group comprising seven members - Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook - who come from all over South Korea.
Over the years, the group has produced material around various themes, or eras as Acclaim describes them, starting with the School trilogy.
After debuting their first ever single, No More Dream, on 13 June 2013, the septet went on to become the first all-South Korean act to dominate the US and UK charts, raking in billions of dollars and building a global fandom, known as ARMY, in the process.
Their embrace of social media meant they barely missed a beat during the pandemic, using direct engagement with fans online to cement their position as the world's biggest and most influential boy band.
In their 10 years of existence, the group has won major accolades at the American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and South Korea's Melon Music Awards.
In addition, the group became the first Korean act to perform at the Grammys when they lent their star power to the awards show in January 2020, joining Lil Nas X for a performance of Old Town Road.
They were also named TIME's Entertainer of the Year for 2020, after releasing their smash hit Dynamite, as well as their highly anticipated album BE.
Click 'read more' to learn more about the band. | 