HELLO, I'M SEL!
About me
A Korean translator/interpreter and graphic designer!
I translate for BTS on Twitter to help ARMYs around the world connect with BTS. Professionally, I've worked as a Korean translator/interpreter, and currently, I'm teaching students the Korean language through online classes. I originally started the project called Learn Korean With BTS on YouTube in 2018 and on Twitter in early 2019 as well.
Why did I make this website?
Mainly since I wanted to showcase all my translations of BTS's songs at one place in the order of their discography. It can be difficult to look for translations for songs I have done in the past on Twitter, therefore I hope this website can make it easier for people to look for them.
I will eventually be translating BTS's entire discography starting from their new album BE and going newest first to oldest so you can expect a lot of the 'coming soon' songs to have their lyrics uploaded in the future.
I will be very glad if this website helps fellow ARMYs and people interested in BTS's music to understand their lyrics better.
Why did I start translating for BTS?
In the beginning, I was just an ARMY who was contributing to our collective fandom activities like streaming, voting, donating, and others. Just because I was a lover of languages, I had started learning Korean on the side, while being a part of the theorists in the fandom who love analyzing the alternate universe called 'BTS Universe'.
While I eventually spent time in the fandom, I felt like I was in my happy and safe place among my fellow ARMYs. I wanted to do something to give back to ARMYs who made my life a better place along with BTS. So I thought of starting the video project called 'Learn Korean With BTS' on YouTube in 2018 where I would teach Korean based on what we see and hear from BTS. Unfortunately, due to technical issues I faced with editing and uploading long videos on my device, I couldn't continue the video project. Instead, I opened a new account on Twitter to continue the project and to translate tweets and video clips of BTS along with it.
Eventually, I needed to do more and more translations as there was more content coming up and I had become busier than before in my private life. As a result, I had to focus on translating entirely in my remaining free time. Though it was hard due to many reasons sometimes, thanks to ARMYs alongside me who constantly gave me strength by reading my translations and appreciating them from time to time, it made me want to do more for them and keep contributing to the fandom in whichever small way I could.
How did I become an ARMY?
The answer is the same as any other ARMY: BTS walked into my life when I needed them the most.
Though at the time I didn't know how to speak Korean, the emotions that are carried in the music BTS makes spoke to me. Looking at the lyrics made the feelings in the song touch my heart twice as harder, and before I knew, their music became a safe place for me. BTS truly made me realize that music transcends language.
The second reason that pulled me in the most after BTS themselves was the fandom — ARMY.
True ambassadors of the warmth, love, and message BTS spreads through their music,, the fandom made me feel welcome amongst them. I cannot explain how it felt but I just felt like I was home. I feel the most comfortable, understood, and at peace among ARMYs.