Parasocial travel

As social media has given fans and artists new, more direct channels of communication, the phenomenon of “parasocial”, or one-sided, relationships between devoted fans and their favourite artists has reared its head. Korean pop culture takes things to the next level: BTS fans (who call themselves the Army) identify themselves by their “bias” – whichever member of the band they are drawn to most.

Mental health and Korean culture expert Jeanie Chang, the founder of K-drama-themed tours Meet You in Korea and the influencer behind the brand Noona’s Noonchi, explains this devotion is partly why many decide to make the journey to Korea.

“Fans want to immerse in the culture and eat the food, speak the language, make kimchi because they see their favourite idols or actors doing it. It makes them feel close to them,” she says. “People want that relationship [with their idol] and this makes them feel like they have a relationship to the culture.”

Life-changing moments

For some fans, travelling to Korea has proven life- changing. Entertainer Woosky moved to Seoul from her native Bermuda to follow her dream to become a performer, inspired by K-pop artists. She remembers the first time she encountered BTS: “They reminded me what my happiness looked like.

“They gave me the courage to come here and learn from the choreographers they learned from.”

Elba, who flew from San Francisco for Suga’s concert, had never been on a plane until last year. After it was announced that BTS member J-Hope was performing at the Lollapalooza festival, she booked her first flight to Chicago. She then flew to Busan for last October’s big BTS concert – quitting her job to do so – which sparked a travel-centric career change.

“I came back from Korea, and I was like, being a flight attendant would be pretty cool,” she says. “I applied and got the job. Suga announced his tour while I was in training, so I needed to pass my exams to be able to travel to see him.”

Since then, Elba’s developed a passion for travel. “It opened up my life,” she says. “I was scared to quit my desk job until I realised there were other options out there.”

Outside Jamsil Stadium, a Korean woman handing out free Suga badges bonds with an American fan, over having both attended the same K-pop concert in New York. Christina, the Filipina fan I met earlier, is already talking about coming back to Seoul with her mother. Meanwhile, Anna, another fan from Saint Petersburg, tells me how she went to Paris to see BTS, and then stayed to explore Europe afterwards. K-pop might be what gets fans onto planes, but the hunger to see and experience everything else quickly follows.

“I didn’t have people in my life that told me to follow my dreams, to love myself. And after hearing it from seven men all the way in Korea? I’ll follow them anywhere,” says Woosky. “And here I am. I’m living the life I’ve always dreamed of.”

Elba has scheduled a tattoo appointment to ink an homage to the band that changed her life. It’s a BTS “constellation”, she says, which seems fitting. Like ancient sailors following the stars, there’s an entire world ready for these fans to explore – with K-pop as their compass.

5 K-Pop destinations in Seoul