When BTS debuted in 2013 with 2 Kool 4 Skool, the members addressed the pressures familiar to any Korean student: the need to study hard, get into a top college, and find a stable job (Jung, 2018). Through their lyrics, BTS is attacking the “education fever” widespread in South Korea.
South Korea’s “education fever”, has caused parents to spend large amounts of their income on cram schools to provide their children addition education outside of the school sphere. At these private institutions, students are expected to study late at night and during the weekend regardless of their age and grade (1 Seth). Parents are making these investments so their child can perform above the national average on the annual college entrance exam Soonung, a comparable method of measuring student achievement to the ACT and SAT in the US. The exam can only be taken once a year, which is a stark contrast to theAmerican system that allows students multiple opportunities to retest every month. In addition, the Soonung holds considerably more weight in college acceptance than the ACT and SAT scores do.
Education is traditionally perceived to be the only chance for social mobility in Korean culture. Low performance means jeopardizing a successful future. A student who would study for twenty hours a day explained why he studied so hard:
Why did I study so hard? The answer is simple. I studied hard to pass the entrance exam of Seoul National University (SNU). Why was my goal SNU? I believed that my socioeconomic status as a son of a coal briquette deliveryman could be promoted by entering the most prestigious university. I believed that passing the SNU entrance exam would guarantee my job, finances, house, family, and future. This was why so many students who lived in poverty went to the library to study at 4:00 a.m. with three lunch boxes. This was why there were so many private houses or buildings, which provided students with study rooms and meals. This was why students were willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money as an investment into their future (617 Hwang).
“N.O”, the main track of the 2 Kool 4 Skool album, is criticizing this ideal of high school students being raised to study instead of enjoying their formative years. In verse two of “N.O” BTS member SUGA raps:
“Who is the one who made us into study machines?
It’s either number one or a failure”.
The music video of “N.O.” also contains parallels with Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall”. The music videos both portray adults as evil and education as a capitalist venture. Study machines are more explicitly demonstrated in “Another Brick In The Wall”, as students who move through a conveyor belt. The two music videos end with the students overthrowing their adult counterparts.