When Marga Uy Baula planned her birthday trip to Seoul in January, all the information she had was one date — March 20.
Baula was determined to be in Seoul when pop icons BTS dropped their highly anticipated comeback album, “ARIRANG.”
“There were no announcements about the comeback yet, but I knew I had to be here,” Baula said.
So when more details about the return of the world’s biggest boy band came to light, Baula had a simple plan: enjoy the sights of Seoul on her birthday, and secure a ticket to BTS’ free comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square, scheduled for March 21.
As everything fell into place, Baula found herself in Seoul on March 18, just a few days until RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook were set to perform at the biggest stage of their careers.
Baula is one of thousands of BTS fans, or ARMYs, who booked flights to Seoul, with or without a concert ticket, to witness BTS’ comeback. After a break of almost four years, K-pop’s biggest act is set to make music history with a large-scale show in the heart of Seoul, one that has filled headlines for months.
Shops, hotels and restaurants in central Seoul have taken it upon themselves to put up purple banners welcoming ARMYs to BTS’ home court.
As Baula checked into her hotel in the tourist district of Myeong-dong, a purple banner welcomed her with lyrics from a BTS song, as if anticipating the outcome of her trip: “The best is yet to come.”
“I’m sure they know there are so many ARMYs here,” Baula said. Her first day in Seoul was spent going around Gyeongbok Palace, scoping out the area and witnessing the construction of the stage where BTS would soon stand.
It was a great start to her trip. But as the lyrics said — the best was yet to come.
Waiting for her at her hotel room was a stack of boxes, all containing BTS merchandise she preordered before she arrived. “I didn’t want to line up at the pop-up shops, so I ordered them all online,” Baula said. “At this point, I’m a pro at ordering BTS merchandise.”
Despite coming from the tropical weather of Thailand, Baula was wearing a knit sweater, designed by BTS’ J-hope, as she braved Seoul’s unfamiliar cold winds. BTS charms dangled from her wrists, as she fixed the keychains of BT21, characters designed by BTS, on her bag. It was loud and clear — Baula was an ARMY, and she wanted everyone to know.
“I’m proud of being an ARMY,” Baula shared. “I like when I’m wearing overtly BTS merchandise, and someone around me knows I’m part of the fandom.”
Mentioning the camaraderie she felt in the fandom, she added, “There’s a sense of belonging, and it’s a way to show my support for BTS.”
Baula finds her merchandise to be a great conversation starter. An ARMY since 2018, Baula, who works as a fundraiser for UNICEF, has traveled and met fellow fans from all over the world — bonding with them through their mutual love for BTS.
“I won’t give my credit card info to my brother, but to an ARMY, during ticketing season? I would,” Baula joked.
Giddy with excitement, Baula organized her BTS haul, all gifts to herself, and aptly opened them on her birthday. The first package she unwrapped was a concert must-have — the ARMY Bomb, BTS’ official light stick.
“I really just want to see all seven of them together,” Baula said, as she browsed the photos of the BTS members that came with her haul, happily practicing her cheers while testing out the light stick she’ll use in Gwanghwamun on Saturday.
When asked why she joined ARMY, Baula’s answer came easily. “I always wonder whether I need to have a deep reason to like BTS. I don’t think so,” Baula shared.
“All I know is that (when I’m not having a good day) I go and watch their content, their videos and music,” she shared. “And immediately, my brain feels rested, and I feel calm and my heart expands.”
So when Baula first got her ticket to Gwanghwamun, she felt disbelief and excitement all at once.
“Initially, I told myself, I’ll just go to the area and feel the vibe. This time, I was just ready just to be outside and feel the energy, and hear the concert — but then I got the ticket,” she shared, as she opened her stack of BTS loot, which included official BTS “ARIRANG” inspired hoodies and caps.
“I know what to wear now,” Baula shared, feeling more ready than ever for Saturday’s concert.