TheBangtanDatabase
Korean Immigrants in America
The Early Korean Language Press
In the early 1900s, many Korean immigrants fled to America in hopes of escaping life under Japan's control. Their desire to see Korea become an independent nation fueled political mobilization among the immigrant group in America (Nahm). As best put by Professor Richard Kim in The Quest for Statehood, "Korean Nationalism ironically was central to the Americanization of Korean immigrants."
So how did Korean immigrants convey their message?
Newspapers
The Early Korean Language Press
On November 22nd, 1905, the first Korean-language paper, Konglip Sinbo, ("The Korean News") popped up in San Francisco (Gonzalez and Torres 263). Korean immigrants clung to this publication for local community news alongside news about Korea (Nahm). The paper was later absorbed by a new publication on February 20th, 1909. Shinhan Minbo ("New Korea"). This paper emerged as the "most influential and long-lasting newspaper in the Korean immigrant community of the United States", still published today as a monthly in Los Angeles (Gonzalez and Torres 263). In September of 1910, the headlines reflected the grief-stricken communities horror at the annexation of Korea to Japan. One headline read, "Alas! My Korea is Gone!" (Nahm).
Pictured: a satirical illustration of the Protectorate Treaty Japan forced Korea to sign in 1905, published in Shinhan Minbo.
The Korean Congress
From April 14 to 16, 1919, more than 200 delegates from the Korean diasporic communities around the world arrived in Philadelphia for "The Korean Congress". They rallied in front of prominent American guests and the media, seeking to gain support of the Americans and the world for Korea's independence. To accommodate the Americans, the speeches and discussions were done entirely in English. The Korean Congress ended with the reading of Korea's Proclamation of Independence, just as America's founding fathers proclaimed the Declaration of Independence in that same city over one hundred years prior (Nahm).
Pictured: Delegates at the Korean Congress in Philadelphia, April 14 to 16, 1919.
In the 1900s, Korean immigrants primarily focused on advocating for Korea's independence and seeking support from Americans. To do this, they had to speak in English since their mother tongue was not widely spoken in the United States. Additionally, Korean-language media was extremely limited in America, with only one major Korean newspaper at the time. In 2023, Korean media can be found with a simple web search; one can find everything from Korean dramas to songs spoken and sung entirely in the language! BTS, played a pivotal role in the Korean wave over the United States, and did so whilst speaking and producing media primarily in Korean. In fact, they have inspired English-speakers to learn Korean themselves!
Pictured left: A Korean language class held at the University of Sheffield over a Zoom call (2021). This course, starring BTS, is one of many that the Korea Foundation launched to help students learn Korean.
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Learn Korean with BTS!
During the pandemic, BTS surged in popularity globally. With this growth, more and more fans grew curious about Korean culture and more receptive to learning the language. Upon realizing that BTS were sparking a movement for international fans to learn Korean, BigHit entertainment and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies “jointly created a series of textbooks featuring BTS for international fans to learn Korean” (Gibson). When the South Korean government noticed this creative endeavor, they partnered with Big Hit and Hankuk University to “sponsor language classes featuring the textbooks at six universities in four countries around the world—including the prestigious Middlebury Language Schools in the United States” (Gibson). These interactive textbooks allow for Americans to enhance their cultural awareness and actively learn a second language, making it easier to engage in more meaningful interactions with larger groups of people.
From creating Korean-language learning books to publishing their own memoir in over 20 languages, BTS recognizes the power of literature in the larger realm of mass communication.
In fact, Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS is the "2nd ever Korean volume in translation to top" the New York Times Bestsellers' list (Sarkar).
If Martin Luther was the original champion of social media, BTS are the current ones. Just as Martin Luther published his 95 theses (1517) in vernacular languages to reach a larger audience, so too does BTS translate their stories in as many languages possible (Video Lesson 1).
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS was written by all seven members alongside Kang Myeong-seok. It was released July 9, 2023.
95 Theses (1517) was a document written by Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation. He was irked by how priests would sell indulgences for "future sins" and found that to be corrupt. His paper got widely circulated (Video Lesson 1).