Bang Si Hyuk, president of HYBE, believes that, with BTS, he managed to change how the world sees Asian culture, paving the way for K-pop
In an interview with the Asia Society, published last Monday, 23, Bang Si Hyukpresident of HYBE, shared his vision on the global impact of K-pop, highlighting the importance of BTS in this process. In the video, released on December 23, the president reflected on the path taken to the global success of Korean culture, especially in Western markets.
Bang revealed that, when he was young, he never imagined that the global market, especially the United States, was a real possibility for Korean music. “Honestly, I never imagined this kind of success. When I was young, the global market seemed so distant and inaccessible. Everyone involved were heroes to me that I could never achieve,” he said. However, with BTS, he realized they could achieve something unheard of: “About two and a half years after BTS debuted, I felt like I could really achieve things that had never been done before in Asia,” he stated.
He also emphasized that before BTS, understanding of Asian culture was limited, especially in the West. However, as the group grew, this perception changed.
“Honestly, I can’t take credit for everything, but before BTS became a global success, understanding Asian culture was very limited and narrow-minded. But that has changed through BTS and my efforts. We have penetrated the world, and people appreciated our culture for what it was,” he said, recognizing BTS’s impact on popularizing K-pop globally.
For him, many of the achievements seem surreal, but he believes that, although he is not solely responsible, his efforts and those of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook were essential for transforming the image of Asian culture.
However, his words were not without controversy. Korean netizens criticized the statement Bangwith some suggesting its success was down to luck or even questioning HYBE’s portrayal as the face of K-pop. However, international fans thanked the president for recognizing BTS as a crucial factor in this cultural revolution.
This episode reflects different perceptions about the impact of the Korean music genre, but it also highlights the importance of BTS as a global phenomenon that has transformed how Asian culture is viewed around the world.
See the full interview!
Read also: BTS fans criticize Billboard for excluding Suga from publication; look
Source: Recreio
