BTS is popular all over the world and North Korea is not an exception.
On KBS2’s “Problem Child in House”, which aired on 22th, there was a topic: “Do you know the secret code of young people in North Korea for the sentence ‘Have you ever listened to BTS’s song?’”
Members started to guess with wrong answers like “You’re on fire?” and made every one laughed.
Defcon, who appeared as a guest, guessed: “ Maybe the answer is in the name of BTS?” and Kim Yong Man replied: “Thinking about the word “Bangtan”, what appears in your mind?”
Then the production team gave them a hint: “backpack”.
The members continued to guess and the production team said that the right answer is one among those they had mentioned before which were “ Have you bought a bulletproof backpack?” and “Have you heard the word bulletproof backpack?”.
And the right answer is “Have you ever worn a bulletproof backpack?”
According to a U.S. website, BTS is also well-known in North Korea but North Korean can’t talk about the Korean wave in public.
An organization specializing in Hallyu called “109 Sangmu” have to watch or listen to Hallyu in secret to avoid being caught which led to the use of secret codes to talk about these topics. “Bulletproof backpack” or “Have you ever worn a bulletproof backpack” is one example.
The sentence “ Have you ever worn a bullerproof backpack” can be understood as “Have you ever heard BTS’s song” and “Are you BTS’s fan”.
