South Korean Pop Band BTS and Its Fan ‘Army’ Donate More than $2M to Black Lives Matter

(UPI) — International fans of K-pop giants BTS have raised over $1 million in donations for the Black Lives Matter cause in the United States, matching the amount donated earlier by their idols toward the human rights movement, according to a fan charity project Monday.

One In An ARMY, an organization of BTS fans involved in charity projects, announced that it has raised over $1 million in donations Monday after launching a donation drive on June 1.

ARMY is a term used to describe the K-pop group’s global fan base.

BTS Donates $1.4mil To Black Lives Matter, Their Fans Respond By Topping That Amount In Less Than 24 Hours https://t.co/A0ce74ECEa pic.twitter.com/8qBKsm8haZ

— TODAY (@TODAYonline) June 8, 2020

The $1 million mark was broken after it was reported Sunday that BTS and its label, Big Hit Entertainment, donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement.

우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다.
우리는 폭력에 반대합니다.
나, 당신, 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다. 함께 하겠습니다.

We stand against racial discrimination.
We condemn violence.
You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.#BlackLivesMatter

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) June 4, 2020

After the news broke, BTS fans started a social media hashtag campaign, named #MatchAMillion, to drive up donations so as to match the amount made by BTS and Big Hit.

“It’s really amazing to see so many of you coming together to support #BlackLivesMatter,” One In An ARMY wrote on its Twitter account.

The accomplishment by BTS fans came as the septet participated in Dear Class of 2020, a virtual commencement event on YouTube Sunday. The members delivered commencement speeches and performances via prerecorded footage.