Chilseok & The Hidden Lore Behind BTS’ Arirang

Though months remain between now and Chilseok, which takes place later this August, the story of the two lovers from which the festival was born has been loitering on my train of thought for many months now. Thanks to the highly anticipated release of BTS’ comeback album, Arirang, following their mandatory enlistment, the story of the talented weaver and the herder, forcibly separated by the very Milky Way itself, has captivated my attention. Now, you may be asking: Where lies the correlation between the two? Well, dear reader, I’ll have you know that the juggernaut group BTS is well known for incorporating aspects of their culture throughout their work, and Arirang, especially, is no different. But, rather than focusing solely on BTS or delving into the meaning and lore behind the Arirang title (which, I must say, is an incredibly interesting topic itself), this article will explore an aspect of their project that can be easily overlooked.

It was first brought to my attention when scrolling through Twitter, now known as X (derogatory), in the weeks preceding Arirang’s release toward the end of March. Fans of BTS, affectionately known as ARMY, were waiting patiently for more information relating to the album, many trying their best to create theories and build connections in order to better understand what exactly the Seven had in store for us. Many of these theories, as fun and interesting as they were, amounted to nothing in the end, but one in particular raised alarm bells, because it seemed the most plausible one to be true. And for these findings we can thank—at least from what I’ve been made aware of—Twitter user BTS2POINT0, who excitedly urged everyone to look up the story of Chilseok and the bird cage in an all-capitalized tweet.

After reading said post and looking into it further, the more ARMYs excitedly added context, it was truly one of those moments where you sat back, hands rubbing together, and proudly said, “Ah, yes, it’s all coming together..”

But what, exactly, is the story behind Chilseok, and why would BTS include it in the concept for their most anticipated album? Because they’re a bunch of saps, that’s why.

On a more serious note, Chilseok (aka Korean Valentines Day), meaning “Seventh Evening”, is a traditional Korean festival that falls on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Korean lunisolar calendar. It originates from the Chinese Qixi Festival, which celebrates the annual meeting of Zhinu and Niulang, the herder and weaver of Chinese mythology and folklore. Adopted by Koreans in times of antiquity, the story of the Cowherder and Weaver Girl—known in Korea as Jiknyeo and Gyeonu—is the romantic telling of a young couple who, after falling in love, marrying, and subsequently shirking their respective responsibilities in favor of each other, were, by direction of the King, Jiknyeo’s father, only ever allowed to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month. However, because they were unable to cross the vast Milky Way to see each other, the couple fell into despair. But thanks to the help of cows and magpies working together to build a bridge across the Milky Way each year, they are able to see each other for that single day. But, even still, because the love between them was so great, their longing for one another would only grow in their time apart. Because of this, each reunion was a cause for celebration and festivities, as it is said that if it rains on Chilseok, the rain is simply the couple’s tears.

But what, you may be asking, does this have to do with Arirang? Well, dear reader, much like the separation between the two lovers, the herder and weaver, BTS and their beloved fans, ARMY, were also separated due to their mandatory enlistment in the Korean military.  By taking their future into their own hands and out of the exploitative reach of the South Korean government and opportunistic entertainment companies, the band chose to forgo the special military exemption. This exemption would be granted to those of great standing within the country, or those who have greatly contributed to South Korea. Instead, they chose to enlist one after another, putting everything they had built with blood, sweat, and tears, on the line. But, despite persistent doubts and worries that would, of course, plague one’s psyche—as evident in the multitude of heartfelt letters posted on Weverse, a community platform created for artists and fans, by the members—the trust they built with their devoted fans, cultivated through trials and tribulations since their debut (and even before then), was what they placed their faith in. By subtly incorporating this myth into the rollout of their return album, it relays the sentiment that says, “Yes, we were separated against our wishes, but with this album we return to you. Let our songs act as our magpie bridge, bringing us together once again.”

While I can go on for pages upon pages yapping about BTS, Arirang, and the extensive list of references, folklore, culture, and the, quite frankly, chill-inducing amount of synchronicities that appear in relation to them, this is regrettably all I have for you today. I hope you were able to learn something new about both BTS and aspects of their culture. Thank you for reading. I hope for your return!

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC?

Chilseok: The Traditional Korean Valentine’s Day

Korea’s Chilseok

@ BTS2POINT0’s Post On X