Stephen Downes

You may have been hearing recently about the activism of KPop stans and wondered what they were. If you're a longtime OLDaily reader you'll already know about KPop - aka Korean Pop. These days the biggest KPop act is unquestionably BTS, and it is their stans who have been the most activist. So what is a stan? "A stan is a highly devoted fan of a particular person, like a musician, actor, author, or influencer. Stans are characterized by their high commitment and intense involvement in a performer's fandom." So if you understand that "The group's Korean name, 방탄소년단, Bangtan Sonyeondan, translates into English as 'Bulletproof Boy Scouts,' and was borne out of CEO Bang Si-Hyuk's desire to create a group that could withstand social pressures and serve as a voice for the younger generation," the evolution of fans into activist stans makes complete sense.