BTS returns with comeback concert in Seoul after 4-year hiatus

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returns Saturday with a massive, escaped comeback performance successful Seoul, wherever thousands of constabulary are locking down a cardinal boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to gully tens of thousands of fans.

The show astatine Gwanghwamun Square launches a planetary circuit spanning dozens of shows crossed the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts accidental could make hundreds of millions of dollars successful gross per quarter.

All 7 members of the set — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — precocious completed South Korea’s mandatory subject service, and anticipation to reclaim their presumption arsenic 1 of the world's biggest popular acts.

The hourlong performance comes aft the radical connected Friday released its 5th album, “ARIRANG,” which sold astir 4 cardinal copies successful its archetypal day, said the band's absorption company, HYBE.

HYBE said RM injured his ankle during a rehearsal Thursday but volition execute with immoderate limitations.

Officials expect the BTS concert, which starts astatine 8 p.m. (1100 GMT), to gully much than 200,000 radical to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured escaped seats successful the designated viewing portion and others readying to ticker connected screens nearby. It volition beryllium streamed unrecorded connected Netflix.

“It volition beryllium astonishing due to the fact that it’s been truthful agelong that BTS (was) not with us,” said Dallila Di Tullio, a 32-year aged instrumentality from Italy, who called the performance a once-in-a-century event. Marta Corona, a 25-year-old Polish fan, said she would beryllium seeing BTS successful idiosyncratic for the archetypal clip since a 2019 show successful London. “It’s been a portion — I’m precise excited,” she said.

BTS debuted successful 2013 and has a legion of planetary supporters who telephone themselves the “Army.” It became the archetypal K-pop enactment to apical Billboard’s Hot 100 illustration successful 2020 with their archetypal all-English opus “Dynamite.”

Jung Dukhyun, a popular civilization commentator, said that the interaction of the BTS returning arsenic a full-group aft years of intermission would beryllium tremendous astatine a clip erstwhile planetary fandom for K-pop has grown overmuch stronger, arsenic shown by the occurrence of Netflix’s animated sensation, “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Criticism implicit stringent assemblage controls

Police and metropolis officials are imposing stringent crowd-control measures, closing adjacent streets, roads and museums, halting the area’s subway and autobus services, and sealing disconnected dozens of surrounding buildings, successful what amounts to a full-day shutdown of the district.

Cars volition beryllium barred from the main roadworthy betwixt Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall for much than 30 hours done Sunday morning. The authorities has stepped up anti-terror monitoring, citing planetary tensions and ample crowds of planetary fans, portion constabulary deployed surveillance vehicles and jamming instrumentality to artifact unauthorized drones. The restrictions person forced adjacent shops to adjacent and deliveries to pause.

Fans and funny onlookers streamed into streets astir the quadrate Saturday arsenic thousands of constabulary officers maintained a choky perimeter astir the show venue, channeling the crowds with a maze of fences and buses. Though the gates were not acceptable to unfastened until the afternoon, concertgoers began queuing by midday to unafraid spots on adjacent roads, passing done metallic detectors astatine designated introduction points.

“I was hoping to bash a small research, if we tin spell done immoderate holes oregon beryllium around. Apparently we cannot due to the fact that they volition beryllium asking radical to determination oregon not beryllium close,” said Bernice Sanchez, a 52-year-old instrumentality from Switzerland who was looking for a spot to enactment earlier the evening's concert.

While South Korean officials person taken assemblage information much earnestly since a deadly 2022 Halloween surge that killed astir 160 people, critics accidental the controls are excessive and undercut the symbolism of performing successful Gwanghwamun, seen arsenic Seoul’s spiritual bosom and astir salient gathering space.

Hundreds of thousands person gathered successful Gwanghwamun successful caller years to mourn, protestation and observe arsenic the state weathered calamity and governmental upheaval. The BTS performance comes astir a twelvemonth aft waves of demonstrators filled the area, calling for the ouster of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol implicit his little imposition of martial instrumentality successful December 2024. Those monthslong rallies were marked by a festive ambiance and a striking blend of authorities and popular culture, with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop airy sticks, and ended without large information accidents.

Drawing connected civilization and heritage

The caller BTS album, “ARIRANG,” draws connected a centuries-old people opus regarded arsenic an unofficial anthem successful some North and South Korea portion Gwanghwamun and adjacent Gyeongbok Palace signifier a sweeping historical backdrop to Saturday’s show.

South Korean officials are counting connected the lawsuit to beforehand the country’s civilization and increasing brushed power. In a connection Wednesday, President Lee Jae Myung said the BTS show would supply “a peculiar infinitesimal that radical astir the satellite volition retrieve for long.”

“While 1 pillar of the medium is defined by BTS’ identity, the different is shaped by the emotions they consciousness successful the present, specifically cosmopolitan sentiments specified arsenic joy, pleasure, and profound love,” HYBE said successful effect to questions from The Associated Press.

The 14-track record, with pb azygous “SWIM,” was recorded successful Los Angeles arsenic the radical reconvened aft years apart.

Group’s comeback coincides with K-pop’s planetary rise

The group's comeback follows a astir four-year hiatus driven by South Korea’s mandatory subject service, which requires astir able-bodied men to service 18 to 21 months nether a conscription strategy aimed astatine deterring aggression from North Korea. BTS members began serving successful 2022, with Suga the past to implicit his work successful June 2025.

Despite their yearslong break, experts accidental BTS’s outlook remains strong, backed by its monolithic fandom and the continuous planetary emergence of K-pop. South Korea’s SK Securities said Wednesday the group’s “ARIRANG” satellite circuit is apt to go the biggest K-pop circuit ever by standard and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally successful stadiums of astir 50,000 seats.

“They had a reasonably agelong hiatus but inactive person a historically almighty fandom. As they travel back, they’ll apt instantly bask a lukewarm invited and aggravated fever astir the world,” said Ha Jae-keun, a taste critic. “I deliberation they’ll apt person a 2nd heyday.”

__ AP video journalists Yong Jun Chang and Yong-ho Kim contributed.

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