{"id":552102,"date":"2026-03-21T23:13:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T23:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/552102\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T23:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T23:13:09","slug":"k-pop-supergroup-bts-returns-in-seoul-concert-after-four-year-hiatus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/552102\/","title":{"rendered":"K-pop supergroup BTS returns in Seoul concert after four-year hiatus"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kpop group BTS on stage during their comeback concert, in central Seoul on March 21.Kim Hong-ji\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returned Saturday with a massive, free comeback concert in Seoul, where thousands of police locked down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle that drew tens of thousands of fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnyeonghaseyo! We\u2019re back,\u201d RM, the band\u2019s leader, told the crowd, using the Korean word for \u201chello,\u201d as they opened with Body to Body, setting off delirious screams from fans waving purple-and-red light sticks and thrusting smartphones into the air.<\/p>\n

All seven members of the band \u2014 RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook \u2014 recently completed South Korea\u2019s mandatory military service, and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world\u2019s biggest pop acts.<\/p>\n

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BTS performs at a free concert launching their global tour in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square.Pool\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launches a global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per quarter.<\/p>\n

The hourlong concert came after the group on Friday released its fifth album, ARIRANG, which sold nearly 4 million copies in its first day, said the band\u2019s management company, HYBE. The company also said RM had injured his ankle during a rehearsal, but he still performed with modified choreography.<\/p>\n

K-pop band BTS launches first tour since military service that includes two Toronto shows<\/a><\/p>\n

The BTS concert, which began at 8 p.m., drew several tens of thousands to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured free seats in the designated viewing zone and others who watched on screens nearby. The show was streamed live on Netflix.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be amazing because it\u2019s been so long that BTS (was) not with us,\u201d Dallila Di Tullio, a 32-year-old fan from Italy, said before the concert, calling it a once-in-a-century event.<\/p>\n

BTS debuted in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the \u201cArmy.\u201d It became the first K-pop act to top Billboard\u2019s Hot 100 chart in 2020 with their first all-English song Dynamite.<\/p>\n

Jung Dukhyun, a pop culture commentator, said that the impact of BTS\u2019 return as a full-group would be tremendous at a time when global fandom for K-pop has grown much stronger, as shown by the success of Netflix\u2019s animated sensation KPop Demon Hunters.<\/p>\n

How Toronto\u2019s Maggie Kang created Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters<\/a><\/p>\n

Stringent crowd controls<\/p>\n

The dark streets blazed with light as waves of fans sang and cheered from cordoned sections, a jubilant scene that unfolded under an unusually heavy police presence managing the crowds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still vividly remember how, at our last Busan concert a few years ago, we asked you to wait for us. Thank you so much for coming here like this,\u201d Jin said.<\/p>\n

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Several tens of thousands were drawn to the Gwanghwamun area for the comeback show.ROLAND DE COURSON\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The group performed songs from their new album, including \u201cSWIM,\u201d alongside hits like \u201cDynamite\u201d and \u201cButter.\u201d Some members appeared to tear up while thanking fans who braved the chilly night, before holding hands and bowing to the crowd to close the show.<\/p>\n

Police and city officials closed nearby streets and roads, halted the area\u2019s subway and bus services, and sealed off dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounted to a full-day shutdown of the district.<\/p>\n

Thousands of police officers maintained a tight perimeter around the performance venue, channeling the crowds with a maze of fences and buses. Concertgoers began queuing by midday to secure spots along nearby roads, passing through security checks and metal detectors at designated entry points. The restrictions forced nearby shops to close and police to use their buses to shuttle wedding guests to a nearby venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to (see) if we can go through some holes or be around. Apparently we cannot because they will be asking people to move,\u201d said Bernice Sanchez, a 52-year-old fan from Switzerland, as she looked for a place to wait.<\/p>\n

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South Korean megastars BTS reunited for their first show in nearly four years.JUNG YEON-JE\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety more seriously since a 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people, critics say the controls went too far and undermined the symbolism of performing in Gwanghwamun, seen as Seoul\u2019s spiritual heart and most prominent gathering space.<\/p>\n

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 came 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.<\/p>\n

Drawing on culture and heritage<\/p>\n

The new BTS album, \u201cARIRANG,\u201d takes its name from a centuries-old folk song, regarded as an unofficial anthem in both Koreas, whose themes of separation, longing and quiet resilience have echoed across generations.<\/p>\n

Gwanghwamun and nearby Gyeongbok Palace provided a sweeping historic backdrop to Saturday\u2019s show, which was highlighted by lighting effects that bathed the palace gate and walls in purple, red and blue.<\/p>\n

Suga told the crowd that the album\u2019s title and the decision to perform in Gwanghwamun reflected the group\u2019s focus on identity. RM said the band focused on making music that felt true to themselves as they reconvened to work on the new album.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to show who we are and how we can come together,\u201d he told the crowd.<\/p>\n

South Korean officials, including current President Lee Jae Myung, expressed hope that the event would promote the country\u2019s culture and soft power.<\/p>\n

Group\u2019s comeback coincides with K-pop\u2019s global rise<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s comeback follows a nearly four-year hiatus driven by South Korea\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Some analysts say the group\u2019s ARIRANG world tour could become the biggest K-pop tour ever by scale and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally in stadiums of around 50,000 seats. Ha Jae-keun, a cultural critic, said BTS was likely to have a \u201csecond heyday,\u201d as they maintained a highly powerful fandom and would benefit from the broader international ascent of K-pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will do our best to give everything we got,\u201d J-Hope said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Kpop group BTS on stage during their comeback concert, in central Seoul on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552103,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,75,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,341,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-552102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-entertainment","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-music","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}