K-Pop idol group BTS recently released their first-ever official book, Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, worldwide. This book, published to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary, is packed with stories beyond what fans already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, videos, and more.
[공지] BTS 오피셜 북 ‘BEYOND THE STORY : 10-YEAR RECORD OF BTS’ 발간 안내 (+ENG/JPN/CHN)https://t.co/okgcKbBZku#BEYOND_THE_STORY #BTS #방탄소년단 pic.twitter.com/LjZVuxPedL
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) July 8, 2023
This memoir is a book that sheds light on the past 10 years of BTS. From a rapper (RM) who dreamed of performing at a concert hall in Hongdae, to a college student majoring in acting (Jin), a producer who sold songs since his teens (Suga), a street dancer who did b-boying (J-Hope), a high school student learning modern dance (Jimin), a boy who played the saxophone dreaming of becoming a celebrity (V), and a middle school student who was offered to debut by seven agencies (Jungkook), this is a story of seven boys who grew up in different environments and made a miracle.
The agency stated, “This book was completed based on more than three years of coverage and more than two years of interviews. With a total of seven chapters, the editor-in-chief of Weverse magazine has incorporated contents of interviews with the members over two years into the book.”
The book begins on December 24, 2010, when J-Hope, who came to Seoul from Gwangju, arrives at the dorm, intimidated by the scenery of Gangnam, and meets Suga at the dorm. It then continues to share how the seven members joined the group.
Then, from their debut album, 2 COOL 4 SKOOL, to the Grammys in 2022, they recorded all the members’ honest and detailed moments and thoughts.
The agency commented, “As RM said, this book shows ‘if we were outsiders in the past, and a bit like outliers, it’s a bit different now.’ It contains the fear, excitement, and behind-the-scenes stories of the members while going on tours, pandemics, U.N. speeches, and more. This book is titled ‘BEYOND THE STORY’ because it contains the most curious stories that have never been heard.”
This book was also published in 23 languages, inducing the original Korean version. About 10 language versions will be translated and published on July 9, also called ARMY Day, as it is the birth of BTS’s fandom, ARMY.
They continued, “It is unprecedented for a book written in Korean to be published simultaneously in more than 10 languages on the day of publication. A Sunday release is also unusual.”
The book ends with the members who have walked together for 10 years, looking into the future. In the last chapter, J-Hope states, “Meeting these people is such a great blessing. I always want to thank the members, and we can keep running forward if we think, ‘If ARMY can laugh and be happy, that is our happiness.’”