With only ₹14k in hand, 3 TN girls left home for Seoul to meet BTS stars. What happened next?
Three 13-year-old students from Tamil Nadu made a bold attempt to embark on a journey to Seoul, all in hopes of meeting their favourite BTS stars.
BTS, the Korean Pop band Bangtan Boys, commands a massive fan following among the youth. This popularity led to three young girls from Tamil Nadu to contemplate a journey to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Despite their detailed plans to undertake this trip without passports and with limited funds, they eventually abandoned their journey and were later discovered in Vellore, a city within their home state.

According to PTI, three 13-year-old girls attending a state-run school in Karur district of Tamil Nadu, harboured an unwavering passion for BTS. Driven by their adoration for the band, these eighth grade students made a bold attempt to embark on a journey to Seoul, all in hopes of meeting their favourite stars. However, their determined aspirations came to an end, leading to their discovery in Vellore.
What happened?
The girls, using their smartphones, researched the best route to reach South Korea within their financial means. “They were then able to shortlist the sea seaports of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to take a ship to South Korea and they eventually chose Visakhapatnam,” a Child Welfare Committee was quoted as saying by PTI.
On Thursday, January 4, the trio discreetly left their homes and travelled to Chennai from Erode, near Karur, with only Rs. 14,000 at their disposal, holding onto a strong belief in their ability to somehow reach Seoul.
After their departure and failure to return home, their parents lodged a complaint with the Karur police. This prompted a statewide alert and instigated search efforts.
How did the girls end up in Vellore?
Upon reaching Chennai, they managed to secure a hotel room for their stay, but by Friday, their determination waned, and they felt the pull to return home.
Boarding a train from Chennai, their journey hit a snag at Katpadi railway station. As they got down at midnight to purchase food, they had missed their train. Vellore District Child Welfare Committee head, P Vedanayagam, recounted how the police and Child Line authorities were notified after engaging with the distressed children, PTI report said.
Subsequently, the trio were sent for accommodation in a state-run facility within Vellore district. Their parents were summoned, and counselling sessions were arranged for both the children and their guardians. Authorities discovered the girls' profound knowledge of BTS, evident in their attire, even having purchased shoes similar to those worn by the band members.
According to the PTI report, the police indicated that the BTS stars served as their source of inspiration, and unrestricted access to smartphones had fuelled an obsession among the girls. Emphasising the girls' aspirations for a life steeped in dance and music, officials gently conveyed that their decision to “go abroad” in pursuit of their dreams was a “misstep”.
Officials stressed the importance of focusing on studies to achieve their dreams while addressing the children. They highlighted the significance of education and urged parents to actively monitor their children's activities. While acknowledging the challenges within the girls' family backgrounds – ranging from single parenthood to parental mental health issues and the mothers' occupations as farm labourers – authorities urged parents to provide necessary care, support, and guidance.
Post-counselling, the children were reunited with their parents and transported back to their home district via a train on Saturday night.
