BTS make live return in front of huge crowd. 16 hours ago. Yuna Ku,BBC Korean, Seouland. Jake Kwon,Seoul correspondent. Getty. Fans poured into the historic heart of South Korea’s capital for the return of the world’s most successful band in recent years, BTS.. According to entertainment company HYBE, about 104,000 people attended the concert on Saturday at Gwanghwamun Square, where the seven K-pop stars – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – performed together for the first time since October 2022.. Set against the backdrop of a 14th Century gateway to the royal palace, the band’s one-hour set included songs from their long-awaited new album, Arirang, which was released on Friday afternoon.. Review: On Arirang, BTS rekindle their fire. Entering Seoul’s central Gwanghwamun square was like stepping into a temple dedicated to the boyband. It was covered in purple, the signature colour of BTS.. The stage itself resembled a triumphal arch. It is a rare honour paid to the seven idols who have become the face of Korea’s cultural success.. The fans are sure to follow the band through its world tour which begins next month. The band is expected to rake in $1bn (£747m) in revenue, but the government has said its contribution to South Korea goes far beyond money.. EPA/Shutterstock. Netflix/EPA/Shutterstock. How did people watch the BTS concert?. Only about 22,000 people who managed to get free tickets were allowed to enter the concert venue – a smaller area in Gwanghwamun Square that has been cordoned off.. Ami Ostrovskaia, who moved to Seoul from Russia last year to study, wasone of the lucky ones. “BTS is the reason I’m here,” she says. “It’s why I started learning about Korean history, culture, food, sports, and the language.”. The rest are watching the giant screens outside: like Margarita Perez, a 58-year-old architect from Germany. She didn’t manage to snag a ticket but has been scouting the area so she can “stay nearby” on concert day.. Jacqueline, a 29-year-old teacher from Mexico City, said she wouldalso be at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday to catch a glimpse of her favourite stars, before she sees them next month on the world tour.. “The last few years have been a sad time for [the BTS] Army. I loved their solo albums, but they’re more amazing when they’re together.”. As for the millions of fans around the world, the concert was live-streamed on Netflix.. As part of its deal with BTS, Netflix has exclusive rights to live-stream the show, as well as a documentary on the band’s reunion – a marketing triumph given the billions it has pumped into Korean entertainment.. EPA. What do we know about Arirang, the new BTS album?. The album’s title, Arirang, is the name of Korea’s most beloved folk song, a sentimental anthem about moving from hardship towards something better.. It is not lost on the band that the first known recording of Arirang was made in the United States in 1896, performed by a group of seven Korean men at Howard University.
