It was the summer of 2020. The world was basically on pause. Everyone was stuck inside, scrolling endlessly, feeling that weird, stagnant anxiety that defined the early pandemic. Then, Big Hit dropped a teaser for something called BTS In The Soop Season 1. No heavy makeup. No screaming crowds. No stadium lights. Just seven guys in the Gangwon-do countryside, trying to figure out how to cook a decent meal without burning the house down. It felt like a deep breath we didn't know we needed.
Honestly, the show shouldn't have been that revolutionary. It’s just "staying in the woods." That’s the literal translation of soop (숲). But for a group that had spent the last seven years running at a pace that would break most people, watching them do... nothing? That was the hook. It wasn't just another reality show; it was a vibe shift.
The Lake 192 Setting and Why It Mattered
Location is everything. They stayed at a private estate called Lake 192 in Chuncheon. It’s this architecturally stunning spot that won the Korea Architecture Award, but the show made it feel like a messy dorm. You had the main house, the floating house on the water, and then those individual campers.
What made BTS In The Soop Season 1 so different from Bon Voyage was the lack of a schedule. In Bon Voyage, they’re traveling, hitting tourist spots, and completing missions for the staff. Here? The staff was basically invisible. The members had to plan their own days. If RM wanted to read for six hours, he did. If Jin wanted to spend the entire morning staring at a fishing line, nobody stopped him. This autonomy gave us a glimpse into their actual personalities—not the "idol" versions, but the "guys in their 20s" versions.
Cooking, Chaos, and the Art of the "Soop" Menu
If you ask any fan about the highlights of this season, they’re going to talk about the food. It was a constant cycle of "What are we eating for lunch?" followed immediately by "What’s for dinner?" It was relatable.
We saw Suga—the undisputed MVP of the kitchen—whipping up things like daechang (large intestines) and gambas. Then there was the legendary sashimi incident. Jin, the eldest, actually brought live fish and prepared them from scratch. It was slightly chaotic, a bit messy, and peak Kim Seokjin. Watching them gather around a massive cauldron to make baeksuk (boiled chicken) or flipping pajeon in the rain felt incredibly intimate. It wasn't about the food being "gourmet." It was about the labor of love.
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They ate a lot.
They drank a lot too.
Late-night conversations over whiskey or beer became the emotional backbone of the series. You’d have V and Jungkook sitting by the fire, talking about how they’d grown apart or how their dynamic was changing as they got older. It was raw. It didn't feel scripted because, frankly, you can't script that kind of awkward, tender growth.
The Individual Hobbies We All Copied
The show sparked a massive trend in "slow living." Suddenly, everyone wanted to try those DIY paint-by-numbers kits because they saw RM and J-Hope obsessively working on them for hours.
- RM's Reading Nook: Namjoon’s stack of books became an instant bestseller list for fans.
- The Canvas Paintings: Each member had a different approach to art. Jungkook’s natural talent was intimidating, while others just enjoyed the process of splashing color around.
- RC Cars and Boats: Seeing them get genuinely excited over remote-controlled toys was a reminder of the childhoods they mostly spent training in dance studios.
The "Soop" wasn't just a place; it was a permission slip to be unproductive. In a culture—and especially a K-pop industry—that prizes "the grind" above all else, seeing the biggest band in the world just... nap... was a radical act.
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Breaking Down the "In The Soop" Aesthetic
There’s a reason people still go back and rewatch BTS In The Soop Season 1 when they’re stressed. The foley work—the sound of the rain, the sizzling of meat, the wind in the trees—is top-tier. It’s basically ASMR the TV show.
The fashion was another thing. Goodbye, Gucci. Hello, oversized t-shirts, slides, and messy hair. Jimin in his cozy knits and V in his flowy shirts created a "soft" aesthetic that dominated Pinterest for years. It humanized them. When you see someone struggle to wake up at 11 AM with pillow lines on their face, the "international superstar" barrier evaporates.
Why Season 1 Hits Differently Than Season 2
While Season 2 had a bigger budget and a custom-built mansion, Season 1 has a specific "first-time" magic. It felt a bit more rugged. The members were still figuring out the boundaries of the show. By the second season, they knew the drill. But in 2020, they were genuinely bored and looking for ways to fill the time, which led to more spontaneous moments.
The interaction with the "In The Soop" theme song is a perfect example. They literally wrote and recorded it on-site. Seeing Suga at his laptop, J-Hope coming up with melodies, and everyone shouting the lyrics in a makeshift recording booth—that’s the essence of BTS. They can’t help but create, even when they’re supposed to be on vacation.
Managing the Misconceptions
People sometimes think these shows are 100% "real." Let’s be realists: there are cameras everywhere. You can see them in the corners of the rooms. The members are aware they are being filmed. However, the brilliance of BTS In The Soop Season 1 is that after the first 24 hours, they clearly stop caring.
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You see the exhaustion. You see the moments where they just want to be alone. The show doesn't edit out the quiet lulls. In most reality TV, "boring" is the enemy. In the Soop, "boring" is the point. If you’re looking for high-octane drama or "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" style conflict, you won’t find it here. The "conflict" is usually just someone forgot to wash the dishes or the fire wouldn't start. And that’s why it works. It’s an antidote to the overstimulated world we live in.
Real-World Impact on Tourism and Lifestyle
Chuncheon saw a massive spike in interest because of the show. Lake 192 became a pilgrimage site for those who could afford the stay. But more than that, it changed how fans consumed "idol content." We shifted from wanting to see them "work" to wanting to see them "well."
It also highlighted the importance of mental health. Several times throughout the eight episodes, the members mention feeling "cleansed" or "reset." For a group that has been under a microscope since 2013, that’s not just flavor text for the camera. It’s a survival mechanism.
How to Recreate the "Soop" Experience at Home
You don't need a multi-million dollar estate in South Korea to get the vibe. Most fans started doing "Soop Weekends" at home.
- Digital Detox: Put the phone away, or at least turn off notifications. The members weren't scrolling Twitter; they were playing ping-pong.
- Focus on One Task: Whether it’s Lego, painting, or cooking a complex meal like dakgalbi, do it slowly.
- The Soundtrack: Put on the In The Soop OST or some Lo-Fi beats.
- Nature (Even a Little): Sit on a balcony or near a window. It sounds cheesy, but it’s the core of the show’s philosophy.
If you haven't watched it yet, or if you're thinking about a rewatch, pay attention to the background. The way the clouds move over the mountains, the sound of the cicadas—it’s designed to lower your heart rate.
BTS In The Soop Season 1 remains a definitive piece of content because it didn't try to sell an image. It sold a feeling. It told us that even the busiest people on earth need to stop and watch the rain sometimes. In a world that demands we always be "on," that’s a lesson that hasn't aged a day since the show premiered.
To get the most out of your viewing, try watching one episode a night before bed rather than bingeing the whole thing. The pacing is slow for a reason—let yourself sink into it. If you're looking for specific recipes they made, search for "In The Soop recipes" on Weverse or fan blogs; many have painstakingly recreated the exact measurements for the dishes Suga and Jin prepared. It's a great way to bring a piece of that calm into your own kitchen.