A Presidential Photo Booth Moment—With RM?
Imagine stumbling across a photo of yourself… posing next to the president and a K-pop mogul. That’s exactly what happened when BTS’s RM, aka Kim Namjoon, found himself featured in a photo booth snapshot with President Lee Jaemyung and J.Y. Park (Park Jinyoung)—without ever being part of the shoot.
K-Pop Meets Politics at the Culture Exchange Ceremony
The surreal moment unfolded during the official launch of the Korean Pop Culture Exchange Committee on the 1st. Hosted at a special K-culture showcase venue, the event brought together entertainment and government heavyweights to strengthen global outreach through music, K-dramas, films, and games.
As part of the festivities, J.Y. Park guided President Lee through a “K-culture experience zone,” which included a photo booth where visitors could take fun purikura-style pics—a Japanese-style photo sticker booth—but with a twist. One of the preset frames featured none other than BTS’s RM.
RM’s Priceless Reaction: “OMG. Is this edited?!”
President Lee and J.Y. Park snapped a series of playful poses, from hearts to thumbs-ups, alongside RM’s digital image. The president then shared the photo to his social media, where ARMYs (BTS fans) quickly spread it like wildfire—and eventually, it reached RM himself.
His reaction? Classic Namjoon. “Oh my god. Is this… edited?!” he commented, stunned at his cameo in a presidential photo shoot he never attended.
More Than a Meme—It’s Culture-Driven Diplomacy
The lighthearted moment also underscored a larger purpose. The newly established Pop Culture Exchange Committee aims to build stronger public-private collaboration to promote Hallyu across borders. With Korean entertainment booming worldwide, the committee hopes to shape support systems for exporting pop culture, from K-pop and K-dramas to gaming and cinema.
J.Y. Park, known globally as the founder of JYP Entertainment and the creative mind behind countless K-pop acts, was named Co-Chair of the committee by the presidential office.
RM: Cultural Icon, Even as a Purikura Frame
Even when he’s not physically present, RM’s influence clearly is. Whether standing next to global figures or popping up—digitally—next to his own president, the BTS leader continues to symbolize K-pop’s global reach and soft power possibilities.
Closing Thought
In this new era where a purikura sticker can spark conversation between idols, presidents, and fans around the world, we have to ask: who’s next on the photo frame—BLACKPINK with Biden?
