BTS return set to spotlight K-culture

 

A screen promotes the comeback concert of K-pop boy group BTS near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 19. [AP/YONHAP]

 
Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area will become a global stage on Saturday as BTS returns with a full-group performance for the first time in three years and nine months. The show, titled "BTS Comeback Live: Arirang," is expected to draw worldwide attention.
 
Since its debut in 2013 under what is now HYBE, BTS rose from relative obscurity to global prominence with a consistent message of self-acceptance, reflected in projects such as "Love Yourself" (2017). The group has built a worldwide fan community known as ARMY, estimated at around 30 million, reshaping both Korea’s cultural profile and the broader landscape of global pop culture.
 
The group’s fifth full-length album, "Arirang," to be released a day before the show, signals a renewed focus on Korean heritage. The 14-track album draws on the concept of han, often described as a collective emotional experience in Korean culture. The performance will take place at Gwanghwamun Square, a historic site marked by statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-shin, adding symbolic weight to the event.
 
The one-hour show will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, known for producing the Super Bowl halftime show, and streamed live via Netflix to 190 countries. While the scale of simultaneous viewership remains uncertain, the platform’s estimated 300 million subscribers point to the event’s global reach. As Lee Sung-min, a professor at Korea National Open University, has noted, shared live experiences can foster strong collective memories.
 

Related Article

• BTS members express appreciation for public safety workers ahead of landmark Gwanghwamun concert

• Downtown companies pressuring workers to take paid leave ahead of BTS show, alleges civic group

• Terror alert to be raised in parts of central Seoul ahead of BTS show in Gwanghwamun

• Lee urges thorough security measures for BTS comeback concert

 
The performance also reflects a broader effort to position Gwanghwamun as a cultural space. Traditionally associated with royal authority and later civic demonstrations, the area is now being reimagined as a venue for global cultural exchange. The anticipated economic impact is also significant. Bloomberg has estimated the event could generate $177 million.
 
Authorities expect around 260,000 attendees in the Gwanghwamun area. Overseas fans have already begun arriving, with reports of increased foreign visitors near HYBE headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul. Security measures have been strengthened in the capital, including raising the terrorism alert level in central districts and deploying more than 6,000 police officers.
 
President Lee Jae Myung also urged public safety and civic responsibility through social media. The global audience, however, is unlikely to focus solely on the performance, as the event offers a broader glimpse into Korea’s cultural identity.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.