Hello fellow ARMYs! A very close friend of mine wrote something beautiful to express her gratitude towards BTS. Her idea is to nominate them for the Nobel Peace Prize, which, in my opinion, they really deserve. Thank you, Katie, for creating such a kind-hearted and beautiful thing, for coming up with this amazing idea and for expressing your thoughts and feelings so well!
Please stop by and read this. It’s worth it, I promise. Thank you in advance!
Nobel Peace Prize Nomination Process
This past year has been more war-torn than any I can recall, so I don’t envy the people in charge of selecting the Nobel Peace Prize. The 2018 Prize was lost in the second American civil war between the media and the president, a casualty of the wholly unsurprising scandals that dominate headlines. Very few people in the public eye have made contributions towards peace, with more focus being placed on school shootings, terrorism, and the ongoing cold war of our time.
I will not address these issues here.
What I would like to offer is a suggestion for the 2019 Nobel Peace prize that many people might overlook while we are distracted by the dramatic news headlines, senseless violence, and political deterioration in America. In general, South Korea has done the most for peace this year, also conducting themselves with far more discretion than America. But which Korean has helped most people? Thinking on the news from recently, the first that come to mind are the South Korean soldiers who risked their lives to save the North Korean defector as he was shot at by his comrades. The South Korean president, Moon, has also been mentioned a few times. These men, while deserving of recognition and respect, are not as accessible to the world as the candidates I will suggest.
Music and it’s ability to overcome obstacles is still something of a mystery. One of the few positive images I recall from the news this year was a young autistic boy who couldn’t speak, but when his sister played guitar he could sing lyrics. Music has the capacity to transcend time, culture, race, education and (maybe the greatest obstacle to peace) language.
South Korea has gained attention lately for their variety of Pop, dominating charts in places that don’t even commonly teach how to say “hello” in Korean. Despite stark cultural differences, westerners are beginning to embrace the music from South Korea. Though the K-pop industry is fairly shameless about the inclusion of physically attractive members to garner interest and income (particularly when the target audience doesn’t necessarily speak Korean), the musicians in “visual” roles themselves tend to have a patient sense of humor about being objectified. The oldest member of the Korean boyband BTS in particular loves to deadpan to vapid American interviewers that his best feature is “my handsome face”. And he’s talked to quite a few of those over the past few years, because BTS is breaking records all over the world.
“Army” is the name their fans go by, in reference to the band’s Korean name, which translates to “bulletproof boyscouts”. The fanbase is fiercly loyal and protective, and like the visible fans of The Beatles and N*Sync were during their heyday, they are predominantly young girls.
The band members themselves - known to the public as RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook - top the charts in unprecedented ways, recently making history by hitting 100 million YouTube views on their single “Fake Love” in a little over a week.
A considerable amount of the song is in English, particularly in the raps performed by 23-year-old Namjoon or “RM”, who has mastered English’s bizarrely intricate pronunciation and grammar better than the average young American and can hold a witty conversation with no foreign accent and only a slightly slower pace. The six other members, though still learning English at their own paces, are nonetheless enthusiastic about communicating with Army and are brave enough to endure the icy winds of western social judgement in order to speak to international fans who cannot speak Korean.
BTS has unified and rallied our youth far better than any political leader, and this truth is evident in their widespread success. Google their name if you doubt it. Which brings me back to the issue of the Nobel Peace recipiants - as well as the Eastern deference to ancient ideals like honor and tradition. To celebrate the quiet effort South Korea has made towards peace with North Korea and the United States, to salute the eastern prioritization of peace above power, and to value the capacity of these seven young men to NOT perpetuate violence or drama, I think BTS and their contributions to both the music industry and their endless effort to connect with their many young fans all over the world are most deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.
World peace is not about the older generations, it is about the young people who will invariably lose their lives if peace is disregarded. South Korean men, including young musicians, are subject to a mandatory military draft as a precaution against North Korean conflict. If Trump cannot be bothered to negotiate nuclear disarmament with North Korea and the South Korean government goes to war, it will mean sending in young men that might have otherwise made music that heals people all over the world, because South Koreans do not have the luxury of doing whatever makes them happy with no consequences.
I’ve only recently become army; I do not have a favorite member or a favorite song. I am not delusional or so young that I am blinded by hormones. I am simply an American woman who had the opportunity to observe and interact with other human beings. I have felt the consequences of my own choices and the choices others made. This is who I respect the most this year.
