BTS is no stranger to being followed after being noticed in restaurants, on the street, at concerts, and pretty much anywhere else. With rising security concerns and cases of stalking and breaking in within the squad, member V has taken it upon himself to quietly warn his admirers. In an audio-only live stream on July 28, the singer discussed the purple ribbon project, which the BTS ARMY carried out to safeguard stars during their airport arrivals and departures.

All about the Purple Ribbon Project

The fan-organised Purple Ribbon Project, which began in 2018 at the height of BTS' fame, arose from the group's fans' willingness to defend them from potentially harmful mobbing occurrences. Fans would congregate at airports to catch a glimpse of the group, but they would also prepare organised support using purple ribbons, which represented their loyal fan base's colour and were supposed to safeguard the members. Giving away satin purple ribbons to cheer on their favourite stars became a method for fans to connect with them. With their initiative, the fans created a spectacle that made global headlines.

BTS' V expressed a desire for the project to resume in order to protect personal space and avoid heavy crowding, since the group and other K-pop stars are subjected to extreme levels of privacy invasion. Recently, amid member SUGA's e-scooter DUI case in August 2024, fans returned to the internet version of the project, hoping to prevent the spread of incorrect information this time.