



By Park Hyong-ki







On Jan. 1, 2019, global boy band sensation Bangtan Boys (BTS) will appear in an advertisement promoting KB Kookmin Bank.







Titled "Play Digital KB," the ad will feature the seven-member band singing and dancing to a fast rhythm and beat that can help viewers experience the bank's digital transformation in a few short seconds.







Its teaser ad was unveiled on KB Kookmin Bank's Liiv digital banking platform on Dec. 14, which has already attracted millions of viewers.







The 15-second BTS's "Play Digital" teaser on KB's YouTube channel attracted more than 1.4 million viewers.







The bank said the new ad comes as it celebrates the 17th anniversary of its foundation this year.







And in 2019, KB Kookmin Bank will push forward in digitally transforming its organization and pursuing business innovation.







It plans to invest 2 trillion won in various digital projects, which include expanding its workforce of engineers and big data analysts, as well as further developing its platform to compete with internet banks by 2025.







The BTS advertisement will seek to capture KB's 2019 spirit of innovation ― "do, fail, learn and retry," the bank said.







BTS first appeared in the bank's advertisement titled "KB Star Banking" early this year. It attracted over 10 million viewers on YouTube and Facebook.







The bank is currently in negotiations to extend its contract with BTS for another year, a bank spokesman said.







Seven-member BTS launched their first album called "2 Cool 4 Skool," debuting with the song "No More Dream" in June 2013.







The band's songs have won numerous awards and made the top charts here and on the U.S. Billboard.







On Sept. 24, it became the first K-pop group to deliver a speech at the United Nations, promoting education and employment for young people.





