Three teenage girls from a small town in southern India made headlines this week after fleeing their homes in an attempt to attend a concert by Korean pop sensations BTS.The three eighth-grade students, aged 13 and 14, slipped away after school on January 4th and boarded a train from Karur station, beginning what they hoped would be an epic journey halfway across Asia. Their parents, notified by the school of their absence, immediately reported them missing.The police launched a frantic search, scouring security footage and deploying teams across the region. The girls were spotted at Katpadi station, over 300 km from home, and intercepted by officers before they could go further.They told us they had seen videos of BTS on their parents phones and just had to see them live, said Inspector Ravi, who assisted in the operation. They took some money and left home without telling anyone.Realising they lacked sufficient funds to actually reach Seoul, the teenagers had belatedly chosen to return home. Stranded at Katpadi junction after missing a connection, their luck ran out. An eagle-eyed commuter noticed the unaccompanied minors and alerted the police.The wayward fans were briefly remanded to a childrens home for counselling before being joyfully reunited with their distraught parents. A stern warning about the dangers of running away concluded their brush with the law.Though their dream of seeing their idols live remains unfulfilled, the girls have earned recognition as some of BTS most devoted fans. Their escapade also spotlights the global reach of modern pop culture and the passions it can inspire, even in remote corners of the world.
