BTS, the world’s biggest boy band, will reunite on stage on Saturday for a K-pop show watched by hundreds of thousands of fans in Seoul and millions across the planet online.AFP explains what to know ahead of the concert — the first since BTS 2022 — by the seven young people who more than anyone else have turned South Korea into a global cultural powerhouse.
– Full Return –
After BTS broke hearts, one by one — which began in 2022 and ended last June — the pop stars were replaced by about 18 months of mandatory military service.Their agency has timed the concert — a day after the release of their fifth studio album “ARIRANG” — to announce that normal service has finally resumed.“We promised our fans that we would come back,” the 31-year-old BTS leader says in a trailer.
-Palace –
About 15,000 tickets for the concert have been sold immediately, but about 260,000 more fans will flock to the open-air show in Seoul.The main director of the concert is the British Hamish Hamilton, who has worked with many world-class groups and has directed the Olympic ceremonies and Super Bowl shows.Details of the concert have been kept strictly under wraps.But local media reported that the event will begin inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul’s largest royal palace dating back to 1395.BTS will then proceed from the main gate to a main stage near Gwanghwamun Square on a route called “The Way of a King” in reference to the Joseon emperors who reigned for five centuries.“BTS is arguably the most iconic K-pop group out there. And it goes without saying that Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most iconic place in the country,” pop culture columnist Kim Do-hoon told AFP.
– About Seoul Landmark –
Gwanghwamun Square is named after the huge main gate of nearby Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, which ruled the peninsula for more than 500 years until its fall in 1910.Located in the heart of Seoul, this spacious square hosts cultural and artistic events. There are giant statues of two of Korea’s most revered figures: King Sejong, who invented Korean writing in 1443, and Navy Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who defeated the Japanese invasion in the 16th century.The square is also a symbol of South Korea’s young and strong democracy, a site of mass gatherings during the political upheavals of recent years.When then-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law in late 2024 sparked the country’s worst crisis in decades, protesters gathered in the square, demanding his ouster. The rallies mixed politics and pop culture, with protesters waving brightly colored batons used at K-pop concerts and signing K-pop songs such as Girls’ Generation’s “Into the New World.”
– Crowd control –
After more than 150 people died in a Halloween stampede in Seoul in 2022, authorities are taking no chances, closing Gyeongbokgung Palace and the nearby National Palace Museum for the day.About 6,700 police officers, along with 8,200 security personnel from the Seoul city government and the group’s HYBE agency, will be deployed, officials said, as well as counter-terrorism agents.“Given the recent volatile international situation … the possibility of a terrorist threat at large events such as BTS concerts cannot be ruled out,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
– BTS concert to promote South Korea –
Officials believe the concert will increase South Korea’s international cultural influence.They also plan to take extensive security measures to prevent crowd-related incidents.In a message posted on X on Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called BTS “the proud artist of the Republic of Korea” and hoped the concert will showcase “our beautiful cultural heritage and the charm of K-culture.”In addition to the 20,000 fans at the entrance to the square, another 240,000 are expected to fill the concert to watch the concert on temporary screens. Authorities plan to block roads, stop subway trains from passing through some stations, and close Gyeongbokgung.Some residents criticized the preferential treatment given to the BTS and the potential inconvenience to the public. But as many experts say, the concert has a large public aspect.“BTS is the nation’s band. Now they plan to do an open show for the public for free. I think it would be very natural for the government to support it,” said Ha.
– Money changer –
BTS and their fans are known for their progressive activism, including their support of the Black Lives Matter movement.They’re also colossal moneymakers, with the BTS “fandom economy” worth billions of dollars in music and merchandise sales — as well as tourism — each year.Hotels are booked in Seoul, with thousands of fans coming from abroad for the concert.“BTS’s comeback will contribute to an economic boom in the areas where they hold concerts, thanks to their strong fandom base,” said Kim Dae-jong, a business professor at Sejong University.“Convenience stores and hospitality businesses will be direct beneficiaries, and the national image could also be boosted by a return to the stage.”For BTS, however, the success of their new album “ARIRANG” will be the key.“It will show the future not only of BTS but also of the K-pop industry,” said columnist Kim.
– World Tour –
After the performance, BTS will embark on their ARIRANG World Tour, which will begin on April 9 in Goyang, South Korea. Spread over 82 concerts in 34 cities around the world, the 2026-27 tour will cross Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America.Tickets for the shows in South Korea, North America and Europe sold out in a matter of hours.For fans unable to secure tickets to the March 21 show, the centerpiece of the comeback is a live stream on Netflix, which broadcasts the entire event to around 190 countries.
