BTS’s music video ‘Spring Day’ is a commemoration of the lives lost due to the Sewol Ferry incident.
(0:10-0:35) – The beginning scene of ‘Spring Day’ features one of the members named Taehyung (or V) placing his head on the snowy train tracks. This scene shows that Taehyung is acknowledging the survivor’s guilt, this guilt of being alive rather than being dead like their loved ones.
(0:40-0:43)- In this scene, Jungkook is reminiscing about his friends who have died.
(0:44-0:49)- Jimin went back to the ocean to think about those who passed. This is where the song begins and the first lyrics being sung is “miss you”.
(0:55-1:02)- In this scene, RM is surrounded by abandoned suitcases which represents the students who went to the ferry with all their belongings but never returned. According to reports of the incident, the captain instructed the students to stay put instead of evacuating from the sinking ship. As a result, most of the students drowned while the captain and the staff members evacuated from the scene. The Korean government received a lot of backlash in how they dealt with the incident, the media did not fully report the truth and most families did not receive the assurance that they needed.
(1:11) – RM is going to the back of the train and says “My heart is running on the time alone on the Snowpiercer.” RM refers to the Korean movie ‘Snowpiercer’, where the setting of the movie is on a train symbolizing human society; the ‘front’ of the train meant for the upper class and government officials while the ‘tail’ of the train is composed of the working class. The movie creates a parallel to our human society by showing how the wealthy treats the working people harshly. Similarly, RM exposes the harsh society where the students who drowned were oppressed by the authorities. Furthermore, in the movie ‘Snowpiercer’ one person built the courage to face the injustice and started to go in front of the train, similarly, RM is seen doing the same.
(1:08-1:13) – RM is running to some sort of motel called ‘Omelas’ and right underneath there is a neon sign saying ‘no vacancy.’ Omelas is a fictional place from the book ‘The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” This fictional piece involves a Utopian society where happiness and prosperity is dependent on someone else’s sufferings. The 2 members, Jhope and Suga, are standing next to the ‘no vacancy’ sign to show that Omelas has a large population.
(1:15-1:20)- RM is going to the ‘front’ of the train to symbolize the fight for justice.
(1:23-1:30)- This scene is contradictory to it’s meaning. BTS is in this celebratory state, such as Jhope throwing the cake at RM, when in actuality this scene represents the attacks one receives from seeking justice similar to how society/government reacts when one is trying to confront injustice. (One example in American society: police brutality)
(1:32- 1:40) – All the other members, besides Jin, are going up the stairs. Jin represents the ones who have died due to the accident. He is at the bottom of the stairs watching the others climbing up and growing up unable to live life with them.
(1:43-1:47) – This scene shows Jungkook in front of a worn down Merry-Go-Round which symbolizes a loss of childhood. The lyrics keep saying “I miss you, I miss you.”
(2:00-2:12) – These collective scenes shows the daily lives of the survivors. The lyrics captures the empty feelings of the survivors, “how many sleepless nights do I have to spend to see you” as well as counting the days they can see their loved ones “until the days of the spring”.
(2:19) – Jimin picking up the shoes of a survivor of the Sewol ferry accident that washed up on shore
(2:31-2:35) – There is a note on the dryer that says “Don’t Forget” which are the pleadings of survivors who are telling others to not forget the people who died even though society is telling them otherwise.
(2:38-2:53) – Suga is on top of this enormous pile of clothing. This mountain of clothing is an artwork created by Christian Boltanski. The clothes represents the souls lost and the ‘souls’ of the clothes who went to a ‘higher place.’ Suga raps, “Yes I hate you, you left me but I never stopped think about you”, he raps from a survivor’s perspective.
(3:16) – Lights of the Merry-Go-Round lights up symbolizing the realization that it is the boy’s duties to fight for justice. The yellow ribbons of the Merry-Go-Round is alike to the Sewol Ferry Yellow Ribbon Campain.
(3:30-3:45) – Jungkook is following RM’s path in seeking justice along with the other members.
(3:47-3:55) – As the train goes past, this scene symbolizes that what is done is done. No matter how far you are in seeking justice, the dead will not come back to life.
(3:59-4:05)- Jungkook is playing with a match stick, when he strikes the match stick the other members are around him. This scene conveys that as long as we remember the death they will forever live in our memories. This scene refers to the fairy tale “Little Match Girl” where a girl lights up a match to see her dead loved ones.
(4:39- 4:43) – Jimin breaking free from the oppressive society which is symbolized by the train and ushering us to follow him
(5:00- 5:10) – tree of life and brand new spring day
(5:20) – shoes are hung on the tree to commemorate those who have passed away.