BTS Takes ARMY Behind the Scenes of Historic White House Visit: Watch

BTS‘ visit to the White House in May was a historic event not just for the band, but for K-pop as a whole. And now, ARMY is getting a behind-the-scenes look at what members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook did to prepare for the momentous event in a new video shared on Wednesday (Oct. 5).

The clip kicks off with the K-pop idols arriving at the airport before their journey to Washington, D.C., begins. Due to scheduling, Jung Kook arrives at the airport before the rest of his bandmates, and briefly discussed “Left and Right,” his collaboration with Charlie Puth. “I’m filming an MV with Charlie. I took a look at the storyboard and I have no idea of what to expect. I’m kinda worried if I can pull it off,” the singer mused before jetting off to the United States with fanfare from ARMY.

The remaining six members of the group then followed suit and were later reunited with Jung Kook in a short break that saw them discussing the meaning for their White House visit and rehearsing possible talking points. After getting suited up for their visit the next day, the Bangtan Boys marveled at the building’s architecture and at having the chance to bring awareness about anti-Asian hate crimes.

“We’re here at the White House. We were lucky enough to even get to visit the White House. I’m proud and honored to be here right now,” J-Hope said in a solo moment. “We’re here for a good cause. I think the tour was meaningful in itself. We only have big things coming up, so we’ll be sure to wrap those things up smoothly.”

“Due to COVID-19, hate crimes against Asians and others has increased. We thought there could be something we can do to help, so we’re back in the states again all of a sudden. I’m very nervous, but we’ll do our due diligence,” RM added in his own aside, raising a fist in solidarity with the cause.

Despite being international pop stars, the BTS members were anxious and practiced their lines and member placements just before their press briefing, which went smoothly. While the video does not show BTS interacting with President Joe Biden, Jimin hilariously recalled his initial meeting with him. “When he was talking while seated he spoke slower so I could understand it a bit,” he shared. “So I was just listening to him, but during the handshake we were up close like this … he’s super tall as well.”

On a more serious note, Jimin added, “Just with our ARMY, they all come from different cultures, races and countries, I think it’s the right thing to speak up on issues like this, so we’re here speaking on your behalf. I’m very thankful for that. We’ll be sure to further mature in the future so we can speak up on other places as well.”

Check out BTS’ White House visit above.