To celebrate T-ara's sweeping victory in Billboard's 2015 Fan Army Face-Off, take a look at seven key interactions between the K-pop girl group and their fiercely dedicated fanbase known as the Queen's. The girls have topped the charts around the world, but what clearly matters the most to them is their fans.
T-ara & Queen's Win 2015 Billboard Fan Army Face Off
1. Free Hug Event (2015)
Earlier this month, T-ara held a free hug event for Queen's that lasted until sundown. On Aug. 6, members Hyomin, Qri, Boram, and Jiyeon met fans at a park in Seoul to dole out hugs to celebrate their new single "So Crazy." While Eunjung and Soyeon weren't able to make it, supporters looked more than delighted from the four T-ara gals in attendance, as evidenced by video from the meeting above.
2. Building a Forest to Celebrate Five Years (2014-2015)
To congratulate T-ara on their five-year anniversary in 2014, Queen's raised nearly $9,000 to build a small forest in Seoul. International fans from around Asia raised funds throughout the year and the park opened in January 2015 with flowers and trees named after their idols. Upon hearing the news, the girls thanked fans on Twitter.
3. When 500 Fans Welcomed Them to Vietnam (2015)
For their first official fan-meet event in Vietnam in January 2015, a reported 500 supporters came together to welcome the ladies to the country, decking out their bikes with balloons and flags, and performed T-ara choreography in the streets. Check out footage from the enthusiastic response above.
4. When T-ara and Queen's Came Together to Raise Thousands (2013)
In the holiday spirit, T-ara hosted a charity auction around Christmas time in Korea. The event included the group's stage outfits, personal items along with goods from other celebrities. The auction generated about $12,000, including around $2,400 personally donated by Queen's that went to the Korean Red Cross.
5. Spending Christmas With Their "Family" (2014)
Christmas 2014 marked T-ara's first-ever concert in their native South Korea, titled "Dear My Family." The gals told audience members they considered fans to be family, hence the concert name, and the intimate show was a way for T-ara to spend the holiday with their fam. Check out footage from the show above where the members are moved to tears by the fans' enthusiasm.
6. Bus Rides With Jiyeon (2014)
When Jiyeon became the first T-ara member to release a solo album, Queen's responded with a ton of support. Towards the end of her promotions for "Never Ever," fans rented out a bus and plastered a huge advertisement over it to promote the singer's solo work. Jiyeon gave back by meeting up with the fans who made the ads happen, eating with them and riding around in the Jiyeon-branded bus.
7. When T-ara Performed in the Freezing Cold...And Fans Came to Their Defense (2010)
Apparently nothing can stop T-ara from seeing their fans -- even frigid weather. The group gave an outdoor performance in 2010 where they wore short sleeves and fishnets despite reported temperatures of zero degrees. The girls looked visibly uncomfortable and fans came to the girls' rescue by publicly condemning their stylists for providing inappropriate outfits online. The fervent response got picked up by local media.