KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — The Fourth BTS Global Interdisciplinary conference will be held at Universiti Malaya (UM) and the National Art Gallery here on August 16 and 17.

The conference, which features studies by academics — who are also fans of the Korean-pop band BTS, is being organised by the International Society for BTS Studies (ISBS) and UM.

The conference was previously held in universities in the United Kingdom, United States and South Korea.

According to a statement by the organisers, the themes of the conference this year will be "BTS in Southeast Asia” and "BTS and the Future.”

"The future of BTS is at an interesting juncture. Since June 2022, the band has stopped its group activities due to its members having to undertake mandatory military service for all males in Korea.

"Despite this absence, its legacy remains in the heart of its international fan base known as the ARMY.

"What is the future for BTS? Or what is the group’s influence on the future? What about the future of its fan base, particularly the ARMY?” read the statement.

Those who wish to present at the conference were given a deadline to submit their abstracts of 300 words by June 10.

Conference participants and students will be charged a registration fee of RM300, while presenters will be charged RM500.