According to local Indian media reports, including India Today, on the 8th (local time), three 8th-grade female students from a public school in the Karur region of Tamil Nadu in southern India ran away on the 4th to see BTS.
At the time of their escape, they only had 14,000 rupees (about $17) and had no passports. When the girls did not return home, their parents reported them missing to the police, initiating a search.
Their friends from the same class stated that they chose Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh as potential departure points, leaving their hometown and initially heading to Chennai in India.
They planned to take a train to Chennai, then move to the area with the port and take a ship to Korea. Despite lacking passports, they believed they could board a ship and planned to earn additional travel expenses by working.
While staying at a hotel in Chennai on the day of their escape, they inquired about how to go to Korea but did not find a solution. Eventually, the next day, they took a train back to their hometown.
The girls were apprehended by the police on the train returning to their hometown. Subsequently, they were temporarily accommodated in a child facility, received counseling, and were handed over to their parents.
The head of the Child Welfare Committee in the Belur district of Karnataka said, “The girls knew in detail about BTS’s clothing and were inspired by BTS, craving a life with dance and music.”
It was reported that the girls came from difficult family circumstances, with negligent parental supervision due to challenging financial situations.
The official added, “One of the girls came from a step-parent family, and another had a father with intellectual disabilities,” stating that the mothers worked as laborers on a farm and had little time to monitor their children.
He further mentioned, “We spoke to the children about the importance and value of education to realize their dreams,” and added, “Parents have requested support and guidance for their children.”
