BTS RM Interview Receives Praise... Translator Hwang Seok-hee Also Calls It "Insightful"

"There is DNA inside us that keeps going"

Hwang Seok-hee, a film translator responsible for subtitle work on famous foreign movies and documentaries imported into Korea, praised BTS member 'RM's interview with a Spanish media outlet as a "persuasive insight."

On the 14th, Hwang said on his Instagram, "I saw RM's interview was trending, so I read the original text. It was about why Koreans are so hard on themselves."

He continued, "It may not be 100% for that reason alone, but I thought that might be the case," adding, "Koreans are a people with strong ambition and competitiveness. Of course, it is also true that we are driven by competition to improve."

He then emphasized, "It seems like we have DNA that keeps us steadily keep going."

BTS leader RM. [Photo by Yonhap News]

He also pointed out the translation of RM's interview by some media outlets where the English word 'ancestors' was literally translated as 'josangnim (조상님).' Hwang explained, "Here, it is not 'ancestors' in the traditional sense but means 'pioneers' or 'those who went ahead,'" adding, "It is misleading to mistake it for the truly nationalistic expression 'josangnim.'"

Earlier, on the 12th (local time), RM conducted an interview with the Spanish media outlet 'El Pa?s' about the K-pop wave.

When the media asked, "Is the K-pop idol system inhumane?" RM replied, "There isn’t much time for the individual, but that’s what makes K-pop shine," adding, "From our 20s to 30s, we invested all our energy and time into BTS."

He further stated, "Westerners might not understand well. Korea was invaded, devastated, and divided into two," emphasizing, "Just 70 years ago, there was nothing. But now everyone is looking at Korea. How did this happen? Because Koreans work hard to improve themselves."

RM also addressed the phenomenon of domestic idol groups’ albums being prefixed with 'K,' saying, "That is a premium label," and claimed, "It is a quality guarantee that the pioneers (ancestors) of K-pop fought hard to achieve."