Boundary Stones
How BTS Tapped Into Forgotten Washington, D.C. History for the Arirang Album
3/21/2026 | 2m
The new BTS album, Arirang, calls back to a piece of Washington, D.C. history.
In 1896, seven Korean students arrived at Howard University, where ethnologist Alice Cunningham Fletcher later recorded them singing what became the first known recording of “Arirang.” At a time when Korea faced political upheaval, the students preserved a piece of their culture. Now, over a century later, BTS honors that legacy — connecting their album to the story of the first Koreans at Howard.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Boundary Stones is a local public television program presented by WETA
Boundary Stones
How BTS Tapped Into Forgotten Washington, D.C. History for the Arirang Album
3/21/2026 | 2m
In 1896, seven Korean students arrived at Howard University, where ethnologist Alice Cunningham Fletcher later recorded them singing what became the first known recording of “Arirang.” At a time when Korea faced political upheaval, the students preserved a piece of their culture. Now, over a century later, BTS honors that legacy — connecting their album to the story of the first Koreans at Howard.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Boundary Stones is a local public television program presented by WETA