By Pyo Kyung-min
Seoul’s Seongdong district has been abuzz in recent days as crowds, many donning purple, gather near a studio building.
More than a week after the store’s opening on April 26, eager fans still endure staggering wait times, some even waiting more than eight hours.
One Army member says she waited for five hours just to secure entry.
“This is my second visit. It’s quite a wait, but definitely worth it,” Ines, a 25-year-old Portuguese student studying in Korea, says.
Alongside Ines, a diverse array of visitors, including groups of Korean fangirls and middle-aged enthusiasts leaving with bags full of merch, contribute to the vibrant atmosphere around the store.
The concept behind this pop-up is to deliver memories of BTS to fans worldwide through “memory clouds”.
The “memory cloud” concept, symbolising every moment shared between BTS and Army stored in a metaphorical cloud, debuted at the group’s 2018 fan meet-and-greet event.
Upon entry to the pop-up, visitors are provided with a luggage tag at the check-in desk before heading into a space designed to replicate a logistics warehouse, with stacks of wooden boxes and parcels surrounding conveyor belts.
Here, visitors encounter memories associated with BTS while viewing previously unreleased black-and-white photos of the members and music videos. They can also get a special certificate to commemorate their visit from a booth located at the exit.
Aashni, a 20-year-old British BTS fan who first discovered the group through the 2019 hit “Boy With Luv”, praises the pop-up.
“Back in my country, it’s not as open and friendly about fan culture, whereas here, I can meet people in the same situation, all here to support BTS. The overall experience has been so positive” she says.
She particularly appreciates how the pop-up facilitates socialisation among the dedicated members of Army.
“If you are an introvert like I am, you might have to force yourself to try it, but I managed to chat with many different people and the conversation just carries on. It’s really nice.”
The pop-up event runs until May 12, and is set to travel to Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, the United States, the Philippines and other countries thereafter.