The seven members are depicted as victims of domestic violence, rape, social indifference and marginalized environments that the younger generation can experience. The setting of the characters are expressed through various media channels by HYBE such as music videos(mainly) and webtoon series.

"Hwayang Yeonhwa Pt.0 Save Me" is a naver webtoon series dealing with the BTS universe written by Big Hit Entertainment, and is adapted/produced by LICO, a subsidiary of Naver Webtoon corporation. The webtoon has gained huge popularity around the world since the release of the prologue and the first and second episodes on January 17. The cumulative views reached 50 million in seven regions, including Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. The series ended with the release of episode 16 in April 2019.

BTS often produces and releases two music videos per song, official music video and choreography video. Official MVs mainly serve as narratives. The music is the same, but the storytelling that follows in it develops in a different way. While sharing the same worldview through music, each member of the BTS is given an individual character, creating a continuous video like a drama.

It also plays another subplot in BTS's trans-media storytelling by releasing "choreography version" or "dance practice" videos separately from music videos. In addition, it is acting as a channel for new fans who are interested in K-POP through cover dance videos.

BTS 'Love Myself' Campaign with UNICEF

BTS and its label entered into a partnership officially with the Korean Committee for UNICEF affiliated with the United Nations on November 1, 2017, in an attempt to sponsor a campaign called #ENDviolence—UNICEF’s global campaign aimed at ensuring children and teens in the world lead safe and healthy lives without the fear of violence.

In this regard, BTS has created its own campaign called LOVE MYSELF, pursuing love and a better place to live for all. Along with #ENDviolence, the LOVE MYSELF campaign has raised a BTS LOVE MYSELF fund since 2017.

The fund raised is being used to protect and support child and teen victims of domestic and school violence as well as sexual assault around the world. Also, it is beingri used to provide an education to local communities for violence prevention.

BTS & HYBE donations

BTS and its agency delivered 100 million won to the '4.16 Family Council', a group of bereaved families in the Sewol Ferry incident.

BT21(BTS X LINE FRIENDS)

BT21 is a character brand that Line Friends and BTS created together. Each BTS members designed their own character and participated in the initial sketch design, setting of each character's personality, and the BT21 universe.

BT21 is developing and expanding the worldview of BT21 UNIVERSE by interacting with global fans and collecting their ideas. Currently, the BT21 prop is available through online and offline stores in 14 regions, and the characters are used in short animations, brand collaboration, and mobile games.

The story of BTS remains open to reinterpretation in various ways. The series album is linked to the previous and the latter, leaving only a variety of symbolic messages and clues instead of giving enough information in one content. Fans directly find and infer these clues to form a story. In the process, various creative interpretations become possible. (wiki page for BTS universe)

For example, on the "WINGS" album, short films about each member were produced with the motif of Hermann Hesse's "Demian." By borrowing the motif of a classic literature, it has not only increased the persuasive power of the album's theme, but also provided the novel as a device for fans to interpret the video. Fans actively find and analyze the clues("떡밥"), create new content, and share it with other fans to confirm their bond.

LE SSERAFIM is a girl group from HYBE deviewed in 2022. The group's name is an anagram for "I'm fearless" which comes from the quote "do not fear" of the angel in the first encounter with humans from the old testament. The name is said to contain the self-confidence and strong will to move forward without being swayed by the worldly oppressions.

Media Channels

'Crimson Heart' is an IP that HYBE presents as an original story. The Naver Webtoon 'Crimson Heart' is serialized in collaboration with HYBE's girl group idol LE SSERAFIM. Along with the webtoon, the web novel of the same name is serialized and translated into 10 languages.

Apart from LE SSERAFIM's official account, a "Crimson Heart by HYBE" account was created on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. The unit photos, character photos, and teaser videos featuring the members as the characters were released.

Story Line

"Crimson Heart" is an adventure story of girls leaving the controlled city of 'Repusia' to 'Unknown', an unfamiliar magical land with blue fireflies. It contains the coming-of-age narrative of girls who move forward together along their own goals and paths. HYBE illustrates that the worldview of "Crimson Heart" is in line with LE SSERAFIM's musical message that they will move fearlessly toward their goals.

SMCU is a project developed by SM Entertainment from October 2020. Starting with girl group 'aespa', which debuted in mid-November of the same year, the purpose of this project is to connect all artists of SM and expand them into a single universe.

"We are now going through the turbulent era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which unexpected variables such as COVID-19 as well as other diseases and climate change can occur at any time. In the future, as technology advances, there will be more changes in human lifestyles, and as I said before, the future world will be a world of celebrities and robots... SMCU (SMCULTURE UNIVERSE) was mentioned as a core value and vision of the future entertainment industry earlier, and we will showcase its new girl group 'aespa' as SMCU's first project, which will open the beginning of future entertainment."

-Suman Lee, CEO of SM

“aespa” seems to be a four-member girl group, but it is officially introduced as an eight-member group in that each member's avatar member, "ae-member," exists on the metaverse "FLAT." The four offline members are connected to the ae-members through the process of "SYNK," and it is the "Gwangya" beyond the "Platt of Soul" through the passage of "P.O.S." to defeat the villain called "Black Mamba," which has been disconnected (SYNK-out).

The storyline is presented in the music video and lyrics of the title songs, including "Black Mamba", "Next Level", and "Savage", as well as the lyrics of the songs on the mini-album "Savage", and the universe video.