‘A.R.M.Y’ Without Arms: BTS, Fandom, and the Emergence of K-Pop Diplomacy

Abstract

This paper aims to understand how ‘BTS’ and their international fan base, ‘ARMY’, have proven to be a significant element in modern cultural diplomacy, arguing that participatory audiences have transformed the dynamics of soft power in the digital era. This article seeks to address three critical objectives: first, to uncover how BTS has become an inseparable part of global Korean cultural expansion; second, how ‘ARMY’ has been used to cement a collective sense of Korean identity; and third, how K-pop has been institutionalised as a diplomatic tool to promote the national interests of South Korea through the mechanism BTS and its strong decentralised network called ‘Army’. The study is based on qualitative desk research and a literature synthesis of studies on cultural diplomacy, K-pop, and fandom, along with quantitative indicators like Spotify streams and social media data. The article sheds light on Kenneth Waltz's ‘Constructivism’ theory and Benedict Anderson's conceptualisation of ‘Imagined Community’, and shows how ‘BTS’ and ‘ARMY’ represent a paradigm shift in twenty-first-century diplomacy, where entertainment, emotional attachment, and participatory culture align with the larger strategic national objectives. The article theorises ‘ARMY’ without arms as non-coercive but strong soft power, which is premised on connectivity, common values, and a sense of belonging instead of conventional tools of state power. It explores the actions of ‘BTS’ and its ‘ARMY’ as a joint convergence space, based on the ‘convergence culture’ framework articulated by Henry Jenkins, that actively supports the growth of Korean branding across the world.