BTS: How did they create the dedicated and faithful ARMY?

BTS built one of the most tightly coordinated fanbases in modern music by treating fandom itself as part of the plan from the start. The seven members—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—have kept that connection alive through years of releases, a long group pause, and a full-scale return. ARMY has stayed organized and present through every stage, turning individual streaming habits into collective action that still registers on charts and in real-world causes.

Curated with care, kept with love

ARMY did not form as a loose online gathering. Big Hit Entertainment, now HYBE, announced the official fan club name on July 9, 2013, only a month after BTS debuted. The name Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth was chosen for its military tone to match the group’s own branding as Bangtan Sonyeondan. The early structure gave members a direct channel to fans and kept communication under label oversight from the beginning. That intentional start remains the backbone of how the fandom operates today.

Kindness begets kindness

The 2020 donation match remains one of the clearest early examples of how ARMY responds when BTS takes public action. After the group gave one million dollars to Black Lives Matter organizations, fans raised a matching sum in roughly twenty-four hours through the One In An Army initiative and the hashtags #MatchAMillion and #MatchTheMillion. The effort showed the fandom’s ability to move quickly on shared goals. One In An Army has continued running campaigns tied to BTS anniversaries and events, including multiple drives in 2025 and 2026 that have raised hundreds of thousands for global causes.

Military Service and Group Hiatus

Between 2022 and 2025 every member completed mandatory South Korean military service. Jin finished first in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October 2024. RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook wrapped active duty around June 2025, while Suga completed his social service role on June 21, 2025. The staggered timeline created a nearly four-year window without full-group activity. Fans kept engagement steady through solo releases, archival content, and charity work, maintaining the same coordinated habits that had defined earlier campaigns.

Full Group Reunion and 2026 Comeback

BTS returned with the album Arirang on March 20, 2026, marking the first full-group project in years. A world tour followed in April 2026. ARMY mobilized around pre-orders, streaming goals, and tour logistics in patterns that echoed earlier efforts but now operated across a post-hiatus timeline. The reunion cycle gave the fandom fresh milestones to track and new opportunities to test long-distance coordination after the service period.

Ongoing Philanthropy Through One In An Army

One In An Army has stayed active with campaigns tied to FESTA events and other BTS milestones. Recent drives have focused on education access, disaster relief, and support for diaspora communities. The organization’s totals across 2025 and 2026 projects have exceeded previous benchmarks, showing that the structure built in 2020 continues to scale. Fans still use the same hashtag systems and donation matching tactics that first drew attention during the Black Lives Matter response, now applied to a broader calendar of causes.

ARMY's Enduring Organization and Scale

Industry analyses continue to note ARMY’s high conversion rates between casual listeners and active participants. The official fan club framework established in 2013 has remained consistent, giving the label and the members a reliable channel for announcements and feedback. Coordinated support for streaming goals, charity drives, and tour logistics has persisted through both active years and the service hiatus. That continuity explains why BTS and ARMY still function as a single unit when new music or events arrive.

The relationship between BTS and ARMY has lasted because both sides treat it as an ongoing exchange rather than a one-time surge. From the deliberate naming in 2013 through military service and the 2026 reunion, the pattern stays the same: members share plans and gratitude, and fans respond with organized effort. The result is a fandom that can move numbers on charts and dollars toward causes without losing the direct connection that started it all.