BTS returns with comeback concert after four-year hiatus
SEOUL, South Korea—After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returned on Saturday with a massive, free comeback concert in this capital, with thousands of police locking down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw tens of thousands of fans.
The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launched a monthslong global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia.
All seven members of the band—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook—have completed South Korea’s mandatory military service and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts.
The hourlong concert was held a day after the group released its fifth album, “Arirang,” which had already logged several million preorder sales since January.
The band’s management company, HYBE, said earlier that RM had injured his ankle during a rehearsal on Thursday but was expected to perform with some limitations.
Officials expect the concert to draw more than 200,000 to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured free seats in the designated viewing zone and others planning to watch on screens nearby. It will be streamed live on Netflix.
Stronger after 13 years
BTS debuted 13 years ago, in 2013, and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.”
It became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020 with their first all-English song “Dynamite.”
Jung Dukhyun, a pop culture commentator, said that the impact of the BTS returning as a full group after years of pause would be tremendous, at a time when global fandom for K-pop has grown much stronger, as shown by the success of Netflix’s animated sensation, “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Police and city officials imposed stringent crowd-control measures, closing nearby streets, roads and museums, halting the area’s subway and bus services, and sealing off dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounted to a full-day shutdown of the district.
Cars were barred from the main road between Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall for more than 30 hours through Sunday morning.
The government had stepped up antiterror monitoring, citing global tensions and large crowds of international fans, while police deployed surveillance vehicles and jamming equipment to block unauthorized drones. The restrictions have forced nearby shops to close and deliveries to pause.
Politics, pop culture
While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety more seriously since a deadly 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people, critics say the controls are excessive and undercut the symbolism of performing in Gwanghwamun, seen as Seoul’s spiritual heart and most prominent gathering space.
Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Gwanghwamun in recent years to mourn, protest and celebrate as the country weathered tragedy and political upheaval.
The BTS concert comes about a year after waves of demonstrators filled the area, calling for the ouster of then President Yoon Suk-yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Those monthslong rallies were marked by a festive atmosphere and a striking blend of politics and pop culture—with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop light sticks—and ended without major safety accidents.
History, soft power
Recorded in Los Angeles, “Arirang” draws on a centuries-old folk song regarded as an unofficial anthem in both North and South Korea while Gwanghwamun and nearby Gyeongbok Palace form a sweeping historic backdrop to Saturday’s show.
South Korean officials are counting on the event to promote the country’s culture and growing soft power. In a statement on Wednesday, President Lee Jae-myung said the BTS performance would provide “a special moment that people around the world will remember for long.”
“While one pillar of the album is defined by [the] BTS identity, the other is shaped by the emotions they feel in the present, specifically universal sentiments such as joy, pleasure, and profound love,” HYBE said in response to questions from The Associated Press (AP).
World tour, ‘second heyday’
The group’s hiatus was prompted by South Korea’s mandatory military service, which requires most able-bodied men to serve 18 to 21 months under a conscription system aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea.
BTS members began serving in 2022, with Suga the last to complete his service in June 2025.
Despite the long break, experts say the group’s outlook remains strong, backed by its massive fandom and the continuing global rise of K-pop.
South Korea’s SK Securities said on Wednesday the group’s world tour for its latest album is likely to become the biggest K-pop tour ever in terms of scale and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally in stadiums of around 50,000 seats.
“They had a fairly long hiatus but still have a historically powerful fandom. As they come back, they’ll likely immediately enjoy a warm welcome and intense fever around the world,” said cultural critic Ha Jae-keun. “I think they’ll likely have a second heyday.”
