Why BTS’s Album Includes the Sound of an Ancient Korean Bell — 성덕대왕신종 Explained (Updated May 2026)
Why one ancient Korean bell sound became one of the most meaningful moments in BTS’s ARIRANG album
As of May 2026, one of the most surprising questions around BTS’s ARIRANG is not only about the title track, the lyrics, or the comeback itself. Many fans are asking a quieter question: why does a BTS album include the sound of an ancient Korean bell?
The answer begins with 성덕대왕신종, usually translated as the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok. It is one of Korea’s most important Buddhist bells, a National Treasure connected to Unified Silla history, Gyeongju, and the deep sound world of Korean heritage. In BTS’s album, the bell appears through the interlude track “No. 29”, a title that points directly to the bell’s national treasure number.
For global listeners, the track may feel unusual at first. It is not a typical pop song. It does not work like a dance track or a ballad. Instead, it asks the listener to pause and hear a resonance that has crossed more than a thousand years of Korean history.
• BTS’s interlude track “No. 29” is connected to Korea’s National Treasure No. 29, the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok.
• The bell is known in Korean as 성덕대왕신종 and is also widely called the Emille Bell.
• It was completed in 771 during the Unified Silla period and is now connected with Gyeongju National Museum.
• The bell’s long, wave-like resonance helps explain why the sound feels symbolic, not just decorative.
• The cultural meaning is not “BTS used an old sound.” It is closer to “BTS placed Korean memory inside a modern global album.”
▲ Concept illustration of an ancient Korean bell resonance entering a modern K-pop soundscape
🔔 What is the Korean bell in BTS’s ARIRANG album?
The Korean bell connected to BTS’s ARIRANG is 성덕대왕신종. In English, it is commonly called the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok. It is not just “an old bell.” It is a major Korean cultural object associated with Buddhist ritual sound, royal memory, metal craftsmanship, and the city of Gyeongju.
The title “No. 29” matters because the bell is designated as Korea’s National Treasure No. 29. For a Korean listener who recognizes the name or number, the title can immediately feel like a cultural clue. For an international fan, it may look mysterious until the historical connection becomes clear.
🇰🇷 한국어: 성덕대왕신종
🔊 Pronunciation: Seongdeok-daewang-sinjong
💬 Meaning: Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok
The word 신종 can be translated as “sacred bell” or “divine bell.” In this context, it does not mean a small hand bell or a simple musical effect. It refers to a large Buddhist temple bell, the kind of sound traditionally associated with ritual, prayer, time, and spiritual awakening.
| Korean | Pronunciation | Basic Meaning | Cultural Feeling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 성덕대왕 | Seongdeok-daewang | Great King Seongdeok | A royal name connected to Silla memory and commemoration. |
| 신종 | sinjong | sacred bell | A solemn Buddhist bell, not an ordinary everyday bell. |
| 범종 | beomjong | Buddhist temple bell | A bell whose sound carries ritual, spiritual, and communal meaning. |
| 울림 | ullim | resonance / echo | A sound that remains, spreads, and emotionally lingers. |
🏛️ Why is 성덕대왕신종 so important in Korean heritage?
성덕대왕신종 was completed in 771, during the Unified Silla period. That date is important because Silla is one of the central kingdoms in Korean history, and Gyeongju was its capital. When people talk about Gyeongju as a museum without walls, they are talking about a city filled with royal tombs, temples, Buddhist art, and traces of Silla’s long cultural influence.
The bell is massive. Official museum descriptions place it at roughly 3.6 meters tall and 18.9 tons. But its importance is not only physical size. It is admired for its form, engravings, Buddhist imagery, long inscription, and most of all, its sound.
The bell is also known as the Emille Bell. This name comes from a famous legend connected to the way its sound was heard. Because legends can be emotionally powerful but historically difficult to verify, it is better to explain the story as folklore, not as confirmed history.
One of the most meaningful parts of the bell is its resonance. A bell is not only the moment it is struck. Its meaning is also in what remains after the strike: the slow vibration, the long echo, and the feeling that the sound keeps breathing after the first impact has disappeared.
🇰🇷 한국어: 울림
🔊 Pronunciation: ullim
💬 Meaning: resonance, echo, or emotional vibration that continues after the sound begins
This is why the bell works so well as a cultural symbol inside an album. A pop album moves quickly: tracks, hooks, choreography, streams, reactions, rankings. A bell moves slowly. It asks for stillness. When BTS places that kind of sound inside ARIRANG, the album suddenly opens a door between fast global pop culture and slow historical memory.
🎵 Why would BTS put a sacred bell sound in a K-pop album?
The most basic answer is simple: because ARIRANG is not only an album title; it is a cultural statement. The word “Arirang” already points to one of Korea’s most recognizable folk songs. By including the sound of 성덕대왕신종, BTS deepens that Korean cultural frame through sound rather than explanation.
Many international fans first experience Korean culture through language, fashion, choreography, food, or drama scenes. But sound is also culture. The sound of a bell can carry memory in a way that words cannot. Even when a listener does not know the exact history, the tone can feel solemn, spacious, and ancient.
In K-pop, traditional Korean elements often appear visually: hanbok-inspired styling, palace backgrounds, traditional instruments, or calligraphy. “No. 29” is different because the heritage reference is mainly sonic. The cultural message is carried by listening, not by looking.
This is also why the track may confuse some listeners at first. If you expect every track to behave like a normal song, “No. 29” can feel like an interruption. But if you read it as an interlude, it becomes a pause with meaning. It gives the album a ceremonial center.
Do not describe “No. 29” as random silence or a strange filler track. The title, the bell, and the cultural reference are connected. It is better to describe it as a heritage-based interlude built around the resonance of Korea’s National Treasure No. 29.
For BTS, whose global image has often balanced Korean identity with worldwide pop accessibility, this kind of choice can be read as a reminder: global music does not have to erase local roots. A sound from one place can travel across the world without becoming less Korean.
🌊 What makes the bell’s sound different?
The bell’s sound is often described as long, deep, and solemn. But the key idea for learners is 맥놀이. This refers to a sound phenomenon where the strength of the sound seems to rise and fall repeatedly, creating a wave-like effect. Instead of one flat tone, the listener feels movement inside the resonance.
🇰🇷 한국어: 맥놀이
🔊 Pronunciation: maengnori
💬 Meaning: beating; a sound effect where waves of sound become stronger and weaker in a repeated pattern
This matters because the emotional feeling of the track comes from time. The first strike is only the beginning. The listener then hears the sound stretch, soften, return, and fade. That experience can feel almost like breathing.
▲ Concept illustration of wave-like resonance from a Korean temple bell
In a normal pop structure, silence or empty space is often avoided. Producers fill the sound with percussion, bass, vocals, ad-libs, synths, and effects. A bell interlude does the opposite. It creates space. It makes the listener aware of duration, echo, and atmosphere.
That is why the track’s meaning should not be reduced to “BTS sampled a bell.” The more accurate feeling is that the album briefly becomes a listening room. Fans are invited to hear a Korean cultural sound on its own terms.
| If you hear... | It may represent... | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| One deep strike | A starting point | The sound begins with a clear moment, like opening a gate. |
| Long resonance | Memory continuing | The echo suggests that culture does not disappear after one moment. |
| Wave-like vibration | Living sound | The sound feels active, not frozen like a museum object. |
🇰🇷 Why “No. 29” is more than a track title
“No. 29” is short, almost minimalist. But once you understand the reference, the title becomes very direct. It points to the bell’s national treasure number and lets the object speak through sound rather than through a long title.
This is a good example of how Korean cultural references sometimes work in K-pop. A symbol may look simple from the outside, but it can contain several layers: a number, a historical object, a place, a legend, a sound, and a modern artistic decision.
🇰🇷 한국어: 국보
🔊 Pronunciation: gukbo
💬 Meaning: National Treasure; a highly important cultural property officially designated for preservation
The interesting part is that the track does not need to explain itself in the language of a museum label. It lets the listener become curious. Fans search. They ask what the sound is. They learn about Gyeongju, Silla, Buddhist bells, and Korean heritage. In that sense, the track becomes a gateway.
When you see a short title like “No. 29,” do not only translate the words. Ask what the number, sound, or image might be pointing to. K-pop often uses compact symbols that become clearer when you connect them to Korean history or language.
🧭 Conclusion: the bell makes ARIRANG feel rooted
BTS’s use of 성덕대왕신종 is meaningful because it turns a cultural heritage sound into part of a global listening experience. Instead of only showing Korean tradition through visuals, the album asks fans to hear it.
That is why “No. 29” matters. It is not the loudest track, the most danceable track, or the easiest track to explain in a playlist. But it may be one of the clearest cultural signals in ARIRANG. It connects BTS’s modern comeback to a sound that has lived in Korean memory for more than 1,300 years.
BTS’s “No. 29” uses the resonance of 성덕대왕신종 to turn Korean heritage into a living sound inside modern K-pop.
❓ FAQ
Q1. What is the bell sound in BTS’s “No. 29”?
It is connected to 성덕대왕신종, the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, Korea’s National Treasure No. 29.
Q2. Why is the track called “No. 29”?
The title points to the bell’s national treasure number. It is a compact cultural clue rather than a random number.
Q3. What does 성덕대왕신종 mean in English?
성덕대왕신종 is usually translated as the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok.
Q4. Is the Emille Bell story historically confirmed?
It is best treated as folklore. The Emille Bell legend is famous, but a blog article should not present the child-sacrifice story as confirmed historical fact.
Q5. Where can visitors see the bell?
The bell is associated with Gyeongju National Museum. Official museum information also explains that visitors can experience related sound and vibration content through museum programs and spaces.
Did “No. 29” feel strange, beautiful, or mysterious when you first heard it? If there is another Korean cultural reference in K-pop you want explained, feel free to leave it in the comments.
👉 What Does “Arirang” Mean? Why BTS Named Their Comeback Album After Korea’s Most Sacred Song
👉 The Real Story of Korea's "Han (한)" (Coming soon)
👉 The Korean Word "정 (Jeong)" Has No English Translation (Coming soon)
👉 Korean Honorifics for K-Pop Fans: Why V Calls Jin "Hyung" (Coming soon)
• BIGHIT MUSIC — BTS ARIRANG Discography
• National Museum of Korea — Press release on BTS and the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok
• Gyeongju National Museum — Divine Bell of King Seongdeok exhibit information
• Korea Heritage Service — Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok
• VISITKOREA — The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok
This article was written based on publicly available official sources and reliable references as of May 2026. K-pop album details, track descriptions, museum programs, source links, and cultural heritage information may change. Please check official channels before relying on the latest information.
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