ARMY Professor Saves A Piece Of BTS History From Demolition

She advocated for ARMY.

An iconic BTS filming location has been salvaged, thanks to Hong Seok Kyung, a professor and BTS expert at Seoul National University (SNU).

BTS at Seoul National University waste pool in 2015.

In 2015, BTS filmed on stage: prologue at a waste pool located at SNU. This music video holds a special significance to ARMY; it helped form the foundation of The Most Beautiful Moment in Life era, also known as HYYH.

| HYBE Labels/Youtube

Unfortunately, the pool, built in 1975, was scheduled for demolition in October 2019, for safety reasons. The month-long construction was postponed until April of this year and completed in May. Fans were devastated to learn that their beloved HYYH site had been filled in dirt, but all is not lost.

| @yoongiemp3/Twitter
Information on the construction plan for the waste pool (building 106) demolition work at Seoul University
  • Construction details: Demolition of waste pool and disposal of waste, etc.
  • Length of construction: Thursday 4/1/21 ~ Monday 5/31

Cooperation

  • Understanding and cooperation regarding the ban around the earthquake observatory.
  • Understanding and cooperation for the inconveniences that may occur, such as noises.
  • Understanding and cooperation for traffic inconveniences.
Inquiries
  • Person in charge Park Jae Hyung

— Seoul National University Waste Pool (Building 106) Demolotion Construction Plan Guide

When the demolition began, Professor Hong stepped in and advocated on behalf of ARMY as one of Korea’s leading authorities in the field of BTS research. She argued that the pool should be preserved as a cultural site, and she persuaded SNU to halt the construction.

SNU pool construction site | @mapofthesou7/Twitter

Although SNU recognized the pool’s historical and cultural significance, by then three of the pool’s four walls had been covered up. Thankfully, the wall where RM and sprayed graffiti still remains. According to Kim Tae Gyun, head of the cooperation department at SNU, the former pool will be reborn as a cultural space for students to enjoy.

| Seoul Economic Daily & HYBE Labels/Youtube
Source: Seoul Economic Daily

BTS