BTS A Global Interdisciplinary Conference Project

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Venue: John Galsworthy Building, Penrhyn Road campus, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE
Price: to be confirmed

This conference is now fully booked. 

Please use the link 'book now' if you are making a donation to the conference only.

Final Conference Programme

Saturday, 4th January 2020 

8:00 am to 8:30 am   Registration, Penrhyn Road campus Reception Area

8:45 am to 9:00 am    Opening remarks, Colette Balmain and Helen Julia Minors

PRMB0012 Clattern Lecture Theatre

9:00 am to 10:00 am Keynote address

Professor LEE Jiyoung, Sejong University, Author of BTS, Art Revolution

10:00 am to 10:15 am Coffee PRJG2002

Session 1 – 10:15 am – 11:45 pm

Panel Ia: Queer Moments and Other Desires (PRJG1002)

Chair: Hyun-Kyung You

1.       Queerness through homosociality and queer-baiting: The co-existence of Blood, Sweat, & Tears and Stigma Speaker, Diane Yoong - graduate student at the CUNY Graduate Center.

2.      "Even if This Were a Dream": Queerness in Uncertain Spaces in the Bangtan Universe, Catherine Allen, South Carolina.

3.      Queering the heteronormative script: empowerment and agency in BTS' fanfictions, Colette Balmain, Kingston University.

Panel Ib: Selling the Band/Selling the Brand (PR1005)

Chair: Cecilia Perez

1.       Marketing behind the fame: Marketing strategies and methods behind the fame of the talented Korean boyband BTS, Éva Gajzágó, Tomori Pál College and Gábor Spielmann, Kabooom Advertising.

2.      Brand Marketing through Transmedia Storytelling: Focusing on BTS's Branding Strategy. Minha Lee, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.

3.      "You Can't Help But Love Them:" BTS, ARMY and the construction of Affective Identities, Courtney McLaren, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Panel 1c: Performance and Fandom (PRJG1007)

Chair: Gloria Ting

1.       Hey ARMY, Play This: A Game Design Analysis of ARMYPEDIA, Sydney Rubin, University of Southern California.

2.      "A Remedy, a Melody": Understanding affective musical experiences in BTS's songs, Gloria Ting, Hong Kong.

3.      BTS: translating music and intercultural dialogue, Helen Julia Minors, Kingston University

Panel 1d: Academics and Education (PRJG3002)

Chair: Lina Moramay Hernández de la Torre

1.       "A Global ARMY of Hope: BTS and a Pedagogy for Global Citizenship", Candace Epps-Robertson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2.      Make It Right: Using BTS' messages to influence teaching pedagogy and create a positive learning environment, Alyza Tabor, University of Birmingham.

3.      Asking questions through ‘Serendipity': Is it possible to use music videos of BTS as a learning material in education?  Burcu Ç?ld?r, Erzincan Binali Y?ld?r?m University.

Panel 1e: The Highest Form of Flattery (discussion) (PGJG3003)

Chair: Eugene Kim

Borasaek Vision: Anastasia, Anne, Aurora, Mheer.

Panel 1f: Definitions (PRJG3004)

Chair: Mata Ayoub

1.       Can BTS (still) be considered K-pop? Violeta Joki?, Belgrade, Serbia

2.      The psychology of FanWars, Agbakoba Adaeze.

3.      How Identity Shapes Episodic Future Thinking: Being Me, BTS Army, and A Citizen of my Country, Ayse Isilay Konuk, Erzincan Binali Y?ld?r?m University

Panel 1f: Culture and Connections (PRJG3014)

Chair: Helen Julia Minors

1.       The Cultural Dimensions of BTS Lyrics, Rebecca Lewis, Westminster University.

2.      The Social Revolution of Big Hit Entertainment, Launa Sorensen, Washington.

3.      Eyes: Beyond Communicative, Yeogeun Yonsue Kim, University of Oxford.

Lunch 11:45 – 12:45 PRJG2002

Session 2 - 13:00 pm – 14:30 pm

Panel 2a: Dance performance and workshop, Union Dance, Clattern Lecture Theatre

Panel 2b: Music for Healing (PRJG1002)

Chair: Despina Kakoudaki

1.       Using Evaluative and Qualitative Methods for Research on how Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) Influence Health and Wellbeing, Aishwarya Chohan, Liverpool Moores University.

2.      The Influence of BTS – Healing Multicultural A.R.M.Ys, Nur Lina, UCSI University, Malaysia.

3.      "Artists for Healing": Anxieties of Youth, Storytelling, and Healing through BTS, Courtney Lazore, Virginia, USA

Panel 2c: BTS Transmedia: English Composition and Participatory Culture / The BTS Transmedia Escape Room (Presentation / Workshop) (PRJG1005)

Convener: Chelsea J. Murdock, Clemson University.

Panel 2d: Activism, Agency and ARMY (PRJG1007)

Chair: Vanessa Lim

1.       BTS x UNICEF "Love Myself" Campaign: same message, but different interpretation from K-pop fandoms, Mathieu Berbiguier, University of California.

2.      General public perceptions of K-pop in Vietnam, and how BTS and V-Army break all prejudices, Giang Huynh, Vietnam

3.      The Role of BTS in the Implementation of South Korea's Public Diplomacy, Christina Florensya Mandagi, Universitas Pelita Harapan

Panel 2e: The "ART" of BTS (PR3002)

Chair: Yeogeun Yonsue

1.     Don't Think about making art, just get it done, Isabel Escalera Fernández and Ángela Calvo Solar, University of Valladolid, Spain

2.      BTS: Both Gesamtkunstwerk and Total Artists in the Post-Modern and Post-Capitalist Era, Jung-Hee Kim, Seoul National University

3.      More than just musicians: is BTS working as a soft power tool for South Korea? Valentina Belmar, University of Leipzig.

Panel 2f Transcultural Fandom and Fan Cultures (PRJG3003)

Chair: Éva Gajzágó

1.       ARMY's identity as a global and local fandom: Similarity and difference in digital and physical emotional responses across cultural borders, Biju Belinky, Freelance writer.

2.      BTS Galaxy: Fan Culture in Southern California, Frances Gateward, California State University Northridge.

3.      We-defining the parasocial: BTS, Weverse, and transcultural fandom, Jasmine Proctor, Simon Fraser University.

Panel 2g: The Secret of their Success (PRJG3004)

Chair: Mi-Young Kim

1.       "Because They Are Good Boys": Not a Secret of Success for BTS, Mi-Young Kim, University of British Columbia.

2.      Social phenomenology – the case of BTS and ARMY, Atanaska Cholakova, South-West University, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

3.      Building Empathy through Interactive Communication between BTS and ARMY, Jung Eun Song, University of Seoul.

Panel 2h: Authenticity and Performativity (PRJG3014)

Chair: Isabel Escalera Fernández

1.       You can call me idol: RM of BTS negotiating authenticity as an idol rapper, Siri Szemenkar,

2.      Agust D And Rap Masculinity Culture, Shayesta Nishat Ahmed and Jeemut Pratim Das, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

3.      How Authentic Can Performance Get? BTS and Performing Masculinities, Soo Kim, Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies

Coffee:  14:30 – 14:45 PRJG2002

Session 3: 14:45 – 16:15

Panel 3a: The Language of BTS  (PRJG1002)

Chair:  Chelsea J. Murdock

1.       Codeswitching as a communicative strategy for ‘Speak Yourself', Wona Lee, University of California, Santa Barbara

2.      Multilinguistic Hybridization in "Love Myself" by BTS, Mi-Young Kim, University of British Columbia & Huai-Rhin Kim, Purdue University.

3.      BTS Lyrics as Motivators and Learning Aids in Korean Language Learning, Gerald Choa Kai Kit, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

4.      Translingual and transcultural identity construction in BTS reaction videos on YouTube, Joowon Suh, Columbia University and Ji-Young Jung, Columbia University.

Panel 3b: Ecosystem and Therapy (PRJG1005)

Chair: Charlotte Mills

1.       BTS, as Home, Window and Ecosystem, MiHye Jeong, Journalist and Critic.

2.      The World of BTS: The Co-Creating Ecosystem of A.R.M.Y. That Surrounds BTS and the Business Implications of Their Creations, Fatima Ahmed, University of Minnesota.

3.      Inside the Magic Shop: Aspects of Dramatherapy and Psychodrama in the BTS Experience, Kate Lacey, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Panel 3c: Gender and BTS (PRJG1007)

Chair:  Eugene Kim

1.       The "Love Yourself" wave: BTS as a positive representation of masculinity for girls and women, Khairunnisa Ibrahim, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

2.     ‘21st Century Girls': BTS, Feminism and the Challenging of Korean Society, Charlotte Mills, University of Leicester.

Panel 3d: Nanta "Not Today" (Discussion and Workshop) (PRJG3002)

Chair: Helen Julia Minors

Hwang Okon, Eastern Connecticut State University

Panel 3e: Religion and BTS (PRJ3003)

Chair: Mariam Elba

1.    The Religion of BTS, Rev Rita Powell, Episcopal Chaplain at Harvard University.

2.      Practicing K-pop: A New Religion called BTS and ARMY, Sun Yong Lee, Princeton Theological Seminary.

3.      Beyond The Standards, Kang Hyo Young, Suwon Science College in Korea.

Panel 3f: Visuality and Connection (PRJG3004)

Chair: Ángela Clavo

1.       BTS on Film, Despina Kakoudaki, American University.

2.      Connecting Flights: Ekphrasis and Intermediality in the WINGS Short Films, Andrew Ty, Ateneo de Manila University and La Trobe University.

3.      The Literaricity of BTS – Exploring the Role of Western Source Texts based Music-Videos for Global Reception, Viktoria Luise Döberl, Universität Wien.

Panel 3g: Music and Dance (PRJG3014)

Chair: Helen Julia Minors

1.       The development of BTS piano covers: productive fandom, participatory analysis, and music education, Anna Marischler and Anja Schlederer, students of Musikschule Deutsch-Wagram and Michael Kahr, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

2.      An Examination of BTS's Intro+IDOL Performance at the 2018 Melon Awards, Simten Demirkol Toygu, Anadolu University School of Music and Drama, Turkey.

3.      A Mirror Reflection: A reflection over mirrors, how they're used in Lacan's psychoanalytical study, and how it applies to BTS visual works, Alice Gentilini, Richmond University, London.

16:15 – 17: 45: Session 4

Panel 4a:  Fandom and Web 2:0 (PRJG1002)

Chair: Launa Sorensen

1.       Fandom in New Media Age-The Mediascape Revolving BTS Fandom ARMY, LEE Jeeheng, Chung-Ang University, South Korea.

2.      Factual entertainment in the service of fandom growth – BTS' short form content and its effect on K-Pop, Ildi Nagy, Communication and Content Development, UK.

3.      Fans' Role in BTS Marketing, Rizka Lenggogini, Indonesia.

Panel 4b: Exhibition, Heritage and Promotion (PRJG1005)

Chair: Eugene Kim

1.       BTS and the impact on Cultural Heritage, Dionne Saville, Leeds Trinity University.

2.      Historical memory, archiving and memory-making in the music and culture of BTS, Gemma Romain, Independent historian and curator.

3.      Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: International K-pop Fans at the Forefront of Globalization, Emily Ziyue Wang, University of British Columbia and CedarBough T. Saeji, Indiana University Bloomington.

Panel 4c: Fan's Fictions (PRJG1007)

Chair: Diane Yoong

1.       Hyung on Top: Korean Kinship Terms in Gay Romantic BTS Fanfiction, Brittany Khedun-Burgoine, University of Oxford.

2.      "Tell me what you want right now": Girls and Collaborative Desire in Reader-Insert BTS Fan Fiction, Saffyre Falkenberg, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

3.      The Commodification of the Shippers' Gaze: Hybrid Masculinity & BTS' Festa 2019, Emily R Marlow, University of Sheffield.

Panel 4d: Teamwork and Twitter (PRJG3002)

Chair: Éva Gajzágó

1.       Teamwork makes the dream work: An in depth look at mass-streaming amongst Twitter fans, Charlotte Bonneau-Crépin, Université Laval, Canada.

2.      #BTS: Social network analysis of the ARMY fandom's ability to dominate voting activities on Twitter, Nicole K. Santero, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

3.      The Architectural Spatiality of Cyberspace - a study of BTS and ARMY on Twitter, Luisa do Amaral, Uberlândia, Brazil.

4.      Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: International K-pop Fans at the Forefront of Globalization, Emily Ziyue Wang, University of British Columbia and CedarBough T. Saeji, Indiana University Bloomington.

Panel 4e: Hallyu, Identity and the Global (PGJG3003)

Chair: Candace Epps-Robertson

1.       Multiple sides of Becoming BTS: An analysis of the BTS phenomenon based on Deleuze & Guattari and Simondon, On Hee Choi, University of Bristol.

2.      The Hallyu phenomenon as a new logic of globalisation: Deleuze's rhizomatic connection in the 21st century, Sally Kim, University of Waikato.

3.      BTS Phenomenon: A New Layer of Acculturation in the 21st Century, Hea Lim Choi, Yonsei University.

4.      BTS and Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC), Huai-Rhin Kim, Purdue University

Panel 4f: The Personal and the Interpersonal (PGJG3004)

Chair: Colette Balmain

1.       Transcending The Professional, Transforming The Personal: The Untold Story, Shelley Waimaria Hoani, New Zealand.

2.      Being ARMY as Adult Women: Autoethnographical Approach, Hyun-Kyung You, Humboldt State University.

3.      A timeline of BTS' progression and inspiration and how it is conveyed through their lyrics and music, Loukia Kyratzoglou, Northern Greece.

Sunday 5^th January 2020

9:00 am to 10:15 am   Keynote address PRMB0012, Clattern Lecture Theatre

Dr. JIN Youngsun, Professor Emerita at Korea University, Author of Nam June Paik, a Global Artist

10:15 am to 10:30 am             Coffee PRJG2002

Session 5 – 10:30 am – 12:00 noon

Panel 5a: Spatial and cultural differences of the fans of BTS  (PRJG1002)

Chair: Ashley Hackworth

1.     Attributes of Serbian fans, Violeta Jokic, Faculty of Music in Belgrade, Serbia.

2.      Attributes of Hungarian fans, Éva Gajzágó, the Tomori Pál College, Hungary.

3.      What Brand Influencers Can Learn from the Rise of K-Pop Fan Influencer Marketing: A Case Study of Bangtan Sonyeondan Fans, Cecilia V. Perez, Richmond, the American International University in London,

Panel 5b: Stardom and Performance (PGJG1005)

Chair: Huai-Rhin, Kim

1.       Fake Love: How can theories around the Hollywood star system be transported to the study of K-Pop? Paula Hearsum, University of Brighton and Jane Barnwell, University of Westminster.

2.      Beyond the Triple Threat Scene: How Embracing Interdisciplinary Performance made BTS a Global Phenomenon, Rebecca Wright, Texas Tech University

3.      In memories I become young again': BTS, Nostalgia, and Ethical Critique. Kate Warlow-Corcoran, Birkbeck College, University of London

Panel 5c: Aesthetics and Rebellion (PGJG1007)

Chair: Eugene Kim

1.    The Korean Dionysus: Classical Allusion in BTS' Dionysus, Ziming Liu, Yale University.

2.      BTS and Nietzsche: The Dionysian vs Apollonian Aesthetic, Fatima Anabtawi, University of Toronto.

3.      Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa ‘Forever': The image of Rebellion and Utopia in the work of BTS, Vanessa Lim, Kingston University.

Panel 5d: BTS World: Authenticity, Identity, and the Nation (PRJG3002)

Chair:  Nicole K. Santero

1.       Idol Rapper: K-Pop and the Production of Authenticity, Myoung-Sun Song, Assistant Professor, Department of American Culture, Sogang University, South Korea.

2.      Bona fide True Symbols: BTS as Authentic Korean and/or Global Pop Stars, Heather Willoughby, Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

3.      BTS Authenticity, Fandom and the Importance of Audience Authentication, Haekyung Um, University of Liverpool.

4.      An ARMY of Pilgrims: Experiencing an Authentic Korea through the Lens of BTS, Lindsay Oaks, Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea.

5e: Culture and Economics (PRJG3003)

Chair: Mi-Young Kim

1.     BTS, Popular Culture and East Asian Relations, Jeannine Chandler, New York University.

2.      Candlelight Revolution, BTS Revolution, and the Future of Liberalism, Byongjin Ahn, Kyung Hee University.

3.      South Korean Post-Hybridity Culture: BTS, Song No, Purdue University

5f: Fanship and the Economy (PRJG3004)

Chair: Colette Balmain

1.      "Happy Birthdays, BTS!": A study of ‘gift culture' in global BTS fandom, Ji Hyeon Kim, Goldsmiths College, University of London.

2.      "Hallyu! I'm a K-Pop Fan": The Psychological Role of Fanship, Fan Type and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Contemporary K-Pop Fans, Derek Laffan, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.

Lunch 12:00 noon – 12:45 PRJG2002

13:00 – 14:00 Keynote address PRMB0012, Clattern Lecture Theatre

KIM Youngmi, Marketing Expert, Organiser of BTS Insight Forum (Behind and Beyond BTS)

Session 6 14:45pm – 16:15 pm

Panel 6a: Reading race, cultural appropriation or belonging? (PRJG1002)

Chair: Frances Gateward

1.       #BlackOutBTS: Race and Performances of the Self in Digital Fandom, Andrea Acosta, University of California.

2.      ??"?–? (Dope), Bangtan Style: Realness and Humility in BTS' American Hustle Life, Nykeah Parham.

3.      Creating an Ummah through ARMY: How Muslim Youth Embody Faith and Community through BTS-centered Content, Mariam Elba, New York City.

Panel 6b: Roundtable - Social and cultural influence of BTS: Focusing on 'nation branding' of S. Korea. Led by Mi-Young Kim and Huai-Rhin Kim – (PRJG1007)

Panel 6c: Masculinities (PRJG3002)

Chair: Colette Balmain

1.       A New Masculinity: Bts And The Rupture With The Hegemonic Masculinity, Lina Moramay Hernández de la Torre & Selene Carrillo Carlos, Autonomus University of Zacatecas, Mexico.

2.      Soft Masculinity and the Rise of Youth Culture in South Korea, Eugene Kim, Kingston University

Panel 6d: Prosumers and Practices (PRJG3003)

Chair: Michael Kahr

1.       A Study on Media Contents Based on ‘Produser' - Focusing on YouTube BTS Reaction Video, Maehwe Kim, Yonsei University.

2.      Affectivity and fan translation practices within the BTS fandom, Sung-Eun Cho, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea.

3.      Fan practice in K-pop: The making of instrumental covers of BTS' songs, Miljana Bulatovi?, Serbia.

Panel 6g: Ways of Communication – (PGJG3004)

Chair: Jeannine Chandler

1.       An Exploration of People's Perceptions of BTS, through Comment Analysis Using Text Mining, Ho Kyoung, Ko, Ajou University, Korea

2.      Peaceful coexistence of BTS and intellectual property law, Karolina Rybak, the University of Silesia in Poland.

3.      .

Refreshments 16:15 – 16:30 PRJG2002

Musical Interlude (PRMB0012-Clattern Lecture Theatre) 16:30 – 17:15

Closing remarks: 17:15 – 17:45

Conference Committee:

Dr. Colette Balmain (chair), Kingston University
Dr. Helen Julia Minors, Kingston University
Dr. Lori Morimoto, Independent Scholar
Eugene Kim, Kingston University
Mehneer Dhillon, Kingston University

Enquiries to:

Colette Balmain, c.balmain@kingston.ac.uk with BTS Conference 2020 as the title.

Publication:
There will be an interdisciplinary book published as part of the project. Please note that this will not take the form of ‘conference proceedings' but rather will be a major academic book published with a top publisher. There are three editors and the book will be peer reviewed before publication.

For further information about this event:

Contact: Colette Balmain
Email: c.balmain@kingston.ac.uk