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Haenyeo risk their lives every day to make a living and provide for their families.

Diving is a tradition that’s been around Jeju for over a thousand years. It used to be done by both men and women, but over the last few centuries, a lot of men died at sea or at war, and it became a job that women took over to feed their families.

Some haenyeo can dive as deep as sixty feet into the ocean without any equipment. They can only do this because they’ve trained for many decades, starting from when they were young children.

Haenyeo- divers who are like real-life mermaids. They swim deep into the water and catch conchs, abalones, and other sea animals for food.

A long time ago, Jeju used to be its own country, so it has its own language, which is similar to Korean.

Ex) Harabeoji - means “grandfather” in Korean
Hareubang - means “grandfather” in Jeju-mal

Hareubang - guardian statues that you’ll find all over the island, especially at doors or other entrances.

Hallasan - biggest mountain in South Korea

How did Jeju form?
It was made by underwater volcanoes that erupted two million years ago! There are more than three hundred and sixty extinct volcanoes on the island, but the biggest one, Hallasan, makes up most of the island.

On Shoulders - an advanced level stunt wherein the lion head will jump up and stand on the tail’s shoulders, generally as a means of procuring a very high cheng. This should only be performed by skilled and experienced lion dancers.

… in their greatest endeavors. The lion will then eat the lettuce and throw it back to the client as a sign of good luck in their ventures.

Choy Cheng - to take the greens
It’s the lion’s duty to procure the cheng (choy), a lettuce hung up high in the air, and bring it back down for the client. The height of the lettuce often represents the ambitions of the individual or business. The higher the lettuce, the more ambitious the client. If the lion successfully obtains the lettuce that is hung up very high, it symbolizes the client’s success…

Sahm Pao Si - three throws of the lion head
The lion throws its head to the left, then to the right, and back to the left 3 times. It’s a powerful movement that portrays the lion getting ready for its next big moment, often a jump.

Tan Bo - test or explore
One of the several steps a lion will perform when approaching any obstacle, whether it be a bridge, the edge of a river, or a cheng. The movement involves the lion lifting up a single leg and lowering it toward the object out of curiosity, and then quickly retracting, as if testing to see if it is safe to proceed. The lion will test the object 3 times.

Scratching - lion will either scratch or “clean” itself, a person, or an object with its mouth as a means of a blessing. This is also performed at a doorway before a lion enters a building, which blesses the entrance of the establishment and all who enter.

Heartbeat - drum, cymbals, and gong are an integral part of a lion dance performance. Without them, the lion does not awaken.
Drum = represents the lion’s heartbeat. It thumps loud and fast when the lion is excited, and low and soft when the lion is cautious or curious.

3 bows - performed immediately after the hei si at the beginning and end of every performance. Link most show respect to the client and the Gods, before entering the building.
Lion performs three bows in succession, starting from the left, then right, then back to the left for its last bow. Movement involves the lion raising and lowering its head (bowing) toward the sun.

Hei si - first movement of the performance. Lion rises and shakes its head, throwing off sleep and greeting the morning sun with gusto. Movement is performed with high energy, to show the lion’s excitement for the day ahead.

A 2020 amendment to the law allowed BTS to postpone enlisting until the age of 30. But an exception would not be made for them to skip completing their service.

In mid-June 2022, BTS announced that their work as a group will be put on hold until around 2025. The break would allow the members to complete their mandatory military service and prioritize their solo careers. South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 25 must serve 18-21 months in the military, according to the country's constitution.

(part 1)

"Butter' was released in May 2021 with collaboration between 7 songwriters within and outside the band. In July 2021, "Permission to Dance" was also released thanks to the help of British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and others. In the fall of 2021, BTS was back to performing live.

The MV was also successful, receiving more than 100 million views on YouTube in its first 24 hours.

The song "Dynamite" released in 2020 was entirely written in English by British songwriters David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, an upbeat track influenced by disco. The song became the top-selling digital song of 2020 in the US and also topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. BTS became the first South Korean group in history to top that chart.

(part 1)

The arrival of the COVID-10 pandemic in 2020 brought an abrupt shift in BTS' plans for the remainder of the year. Because BTS couldn't perform live, they felt cut off from ARMY. However, they continued to communicate and connect with fans through YouTube live streams and other social media platforms.

true calling of music.

On September 2018 in NY, BTS spoke to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly as part of the launch for Generation Unlimited, a UNICEF youth education and empowerment program. RM addressed leaders from around the world and talked about how at an early age, he began to lose sight of his own dreams. The expectations of others had taken their place and that it took a long time to hear his inner voice and recover his...

"Fake Love" MV received 100 million views in 8 days. Even South Korea's then president Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory message via social media. It had been 12 years since any non-English speaking group had claimed the #1 spot on Billboard's album chart.

BTS' 2018 got off to a very rough start as the group faces exhaustion from the demanding cycle of producing an album and then touring. The cycle had consumed them the last few years. On the Wings tour, they gave 40 concerts in 10 different countries over 10 months. The group considered quitting, but none of them could bring themselves to do it.

V's expression "I purple you" was inspired by the purple lighting used at the end of a 2016 fan club event. V said to the crowd "Purple is the last color of the rainbow. Purple means I will trust and love you for a long time." From then on, purple became ARMY's chosen color.

As a result, Big Hit issued a public statement that they and BTS were very sorry for the offense. With a promise to be more sensitive in the future, the company now requires gender sensitivity training for all its artists before they can debut.

(part 2)