BTS’s Jimin performed in Arlington, Texas, on August 15 local time, where he appeared in a stage outfit seemingly inspired by the Taegeukgi, South Korea’s national flag. The singer added red and blue hairpieces reminiscent of the Taegeuk symbol and wore an outfit incorporating patterns inspired by the flag’s four trigrams, known as geon, gon, gam, and ri.
The performance took place on August 15, Korea’s Liberation Day, known as Gwangbokjeol. The national holiday commemorates Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 and celebrates the establishment of the Republic of Korea government as the successor to the Korean Provisional Government.
Through his fashion choices, Jimin appeared to draw attention to the significance of the Korean national holiday while performing for an American audience.
A staff member who accompanied BTS on their world tour shared photos and videos of Jimin on social media, alongside Taegeukgi emojis. The posts specifically highlighted that his hairstyle and stage outfit were designed to commemorate Korea’s national holiday.
This was not the first time Jimin has used fashion to mark Liberation Day while overseas. Last year, he also commemorated the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation by wearing a hat featuring a Taegeukgi patch in the United States.
Jimin’s latest appearance has attracted particular attention as the Korean entertainment industry has recently faced controversies involving alleged pro-Japanese sentiments and historical issues. Against this backdrop, his decision to commemorate Liberation Day abroad has been praised by many as a meaningful display of Korean pride.
Meanwhile, BTS continues to demonstrate its strong international presence following the release of its fifth studio album, Arirang. The album has remained on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100 for 21 consecutive weeks, marking another notable achievement for the group on one of the world’s major music charts.
BTS has also maintained considerable recognition among American music consumers. According to a second-quarter survey conducted by global music data company Luminate among US music consumers this year, 42% of respondents recognized BTS. This figure was significantly higher than the 24% average recognition rate recorded for artists overall, underscoring the group’s continued popularity in the US.
BTS will continue its Arirang world tour, bringing its latest music to audiences around the world.
Sources: Daum | 스포츠조선