Modern South Korea usually leaves pop stars and politics far away from each other.

This makes many idol groups stay apolitical to achieve success, but the members of K-pop boy group BTS didn't play it safe.

The chart-topping Korean group broke this convention. Even though they are the first K-pop act to top the Billboard 200 album sales chart, they are interested in talking about more than just their music.

The BTS boys have been talking about many topics since their debut, most of them are social taboos in South Korea.

The Rolling Stone said this is a particularly bold move for the group, given that their government keeps an eye on themes used in pop music.

The group has visited Latin America a few times and received great love from those countries, the Somag News said.

Since they crossed the line between critical lyrics and keeping a good image, they made many fans, also known as stans, prouder.

They broke what some find unattractive about the K-pop scene.

'Love Myself' Campaign

BTS and their label Big Hit Entertainment prepared the LOVE MYSELF campaign in early 2017.

The Korean Committee of UNICEF became an ideal for them in improving the lives of children in teens using the campaign to fight violence against children.

The #ENDviolence campaign was done globally and aimed at protecting children and teens.

The campaign also encouraged preventive measures. Billboard reported the campaign raised over $1 million.

UNICEF Korea said the group has continued to use their positive influence, like they did in the UN General Assembly 'Speak Yourself' speech."

Speaking About Mental Health

The K-pop group also used their large platform to talk about the mental health issues that come to young people.

The E! Online said the stars talked about the death of their fellow K-pop singer, Kim Jong-Hyun of SHINee, in 2017.

BTS member Suga said he thinks if everyone knew that others are lonely and suffering, there may be hope to make an environment where people can ask for help.

Leader RM added that he couldn't sleep when he got the news. He described the loss as shocking, to think that he saw Jong-Hyun often at events and knew about his success.

He wished a law could be put in place to help younger generations cope with stressful situations.

Their Views on Gender Identity

RM tweeted his admiration for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' inclusive hit "Same Love," a song about homosexuality.

Back then, RM didn't have that big of a name, who had little to lose. But in 2018, he took a stance again when he recommended the song "Strawberries and Cigarettes," by openly gay musician Troye Sivan for the coming-of-age film "Love, Simon."

To add to that, when BTS spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2018, something novel came from the K-pop artists.

RM told the young generation to speak for themselves, "no matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, your gender identity."

The last in the series drew the attention of the LGBTQ community, reported Jakarta Post.

These are just small gestures but they mean a lot for BTS stans.

Fighting Racism

It isn't just about the artists fighting racism, it was also about the stans, who made their presence known across the globe in the midst of the issue.

BTS issued a statement on Twitter that expressed solidarity in the fight against racism, the MTV reported.

"We stand against racial discrimination," the group said in the statement that was first written in Hangul and followed by an English translation.

"We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together," they added.

Insider reported that as the group took a stand, the stans also took over racist hashtags in an effort to drown out racist posts, spammed police apps with fancams, and matched the group's $1 million donation in about a day.

Want to read more? Check these out!