More than 100,000 fans turned out to see K-pop superstars BTS’s first concert in nearly four years, their label said, a smaller number than originally expected for the highly anticipated event in central Seoul.
The seven-member group took to the stage together for the first time following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, with some stationed near the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
The comeback concert was held on Saturday against the backdrop of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace – fitting for the “Kings of K-pop” – with thousands of fans from South Korea and abroad singing along.
“An estimated 104,000 fans attended the Gwanghwamun Square concert, based on ticket sales and data from the country’s three major mobile carriers,” HYBE said in a statement yesterday.
The figure was lower than an initial projection of 260,000, while police estimates of the crowd size were far lower at about 42,000, according to Yonhap news agency.
Netflix livestreamed the concert to about 190 countries.
Fans waved a sea of glowsticks and sang along to the group’s hits, holding their phones aloft to film the performance as giant screens set up across the venue allowed the crowd to watch.
Some 15,000 police officers and security personnel were mobilised for the concert, with barricades lining the roads and nearby venues shut.
The latest album, ARIRANG, released Friday, is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band’s Korean identity.
It sold nearly four million copies on its first day, according to the label.
Following Saturday’s concert, the superstars will embark on their ARIRANG world tour, beginning April 9 in Goyang, South Korea.
Spanning 82 concerts across 34 cities, the 2026-27 tour will take in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America.
Tickets for shows in South Korea, North America and Europe sold out within hours. — AFP
