Pop megastars BTS electrify historic centre of Seoul with comeback concert

## Summary
Pop megastars BTS electrify historic centre of Seoul with comeback concert 21 hours ago Share Save Yuna Ku , BBC Korean, Seoul and Jake Kwon , Seoul correspondent Share Save BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX On Saturday, the heart of Seoul turned into a sea of purple. In another post, pop music critic Jung Min-jae said: "If a comeback concert of this scale, one that effectively paralyses parts of the city centre, is allowed, then other artists or agencies may well request to use the same space in the future. "At that point, on what criteria will the Seoul Metropolitan Government approve or reject such requests?" But the government argued this was BTS, returning to reclaim their spot at the top of an industry that has shaped them as much as they have shaped it. BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX The stage was in front of Seoul's historic Gwanghwamun gate The band exploded after its debut in 2013. BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX Tens of thousands of excited fans flooded the historic centre of Seoul There were 22,000 free seats available inside the concert venue, in front of the stage.

## Article Content
Pop megastars BTS electrify historic centre of Seoul with comeback concert
21 hours ago
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Yuna Ku
,
BBC Korean, Seoul
and
Jake Kwon
,
Seoul correspondent
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BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX
On Saturday, the heart of Seoul turned into a sea of purple.
It was splashed across landmarks, towering billboards, giant screens on high-rises, posters, masks and t-shirts. It was in the display of drone lights on the Han River.
The reason for it was impossible to miss.
"Welcome back BTS," a banner on a 7-Eleven declared, surrounded by the K-pop act's signature colour. The world's biggest band was returning to the stage - after a break of more than three years because of mandatory military service.
"BTS is everything for us," says Veronica, who along with her friend Amanda flew in from the US to catch Saturday's show.
The concert was yet to begin. Members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook had not made an appearance, but already, BTS was everywhere.
The megastars of pop were back.
And their "Army", as their legions of fans call themselves, was ready - happy, singing, screaming, light-sticks in hand. These props can be seen at every K-pop concert but the big bands have their own.
Amanda and Veronica had them too. They wore wide grins and matching purple hanbok, the traditional Korean dress.
The band's break is what made them seek out other members of the Army. "That's how we met," Amanda says.
But it had been a difficult three years, they added, spent yearning for the band to come back.
BTS fans on meaning of comeback show
Finally, the wait was over.
As the sun faded, the square thumped with screams of the crowd. Fans erupted into chants of the seven members' names.
Then the noise fell away as a deep, resonant toll of the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok rose - a part of "Number 29", a track in BTS's new album Arirang.
It rolled across Gwanghwamun Square, lingering - heavy and deliberate - grounding the spectacle in something that felt far older.
And then the seven K-pop stars appeared in front of the medieval gateway to the palace. "Annyeonghaseyo (hello)," the band's leader RM greeted fans in Korean, before switching to English: "We are back."
They walked to an impromptu stadium the city had set up in the middle of the square and climbed onto the stage, which resembled a triumphal arch.
It was a striking prelude to "Body to Body", the album's first full track, interwoven with Korea's most iconic folk song and the album's namesake, Arirang.
As the music swelled, the stage was washed in deep red. The comeback was under way.
And it seemed to win over an uncertain Kim Young-hee: "When I first listened to the album, I thought it was a bit harder to digest than their previous releases, but after seeing them perform live, I realised that BTS never disappoints us."
There had been growing curiosity about the setlist. While the focus was expected to be on new material, many wondered whether the group would revisit the hits that defined their global rise.
And they did - with "Butter", "MIC Drop", "Dynamite" and "Mikrokosmos" igniting instant recognition, lifting the crowd into a shared, euphoric chorus.
BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX
BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX
Thousands of light-sticks shifted colour in the dark, moving in rhythm and revealing the size of the crowd, which had filled the square.
It was far below the 250,000 authorities had said they were expecting. But it was certainly in the tens of thousands.
Seoul had gone big for this moment, turning its centre into a giant K-pop stage for the first time ever.
Inspired by the South Korean flag, the stage stood with the Gwanghwamun gate as its backdrop, framed by the mountains - a strikingly Seoul scene.
"I'm deeply honoured to perform at Gwanghwamun, the most historic place in South Korea," Suga said. "We named the album Arirang and chose Gwanghwamun as the venue to reflect our identity."
It was a rare honour. And the band knew it, taking turns to thank the city and its officials.
But the decision had also drawn criticism. People questioned the need to direct so many resources - the public space, the thousands of police for crowd and safety management - for a show streamed live exclusively on Netflix.
"They've pulled in police and fire personnel en masse. If something happens elsewhere, there may be no staff left to respond, and access could be blocked because of the controls," one user wrote on X.
In another post, pop music critic Jung Min-jae said: "If a comeback concert of this scale, one that effectively paralyses parts of the city centre, is allowed, then other artists or agencies may well request to use the same space in the future.
"At that point, on what criteria will the Seoul Metropolitan Government approve or reject such requests?"
But the government argued this was BTS, returning to reclaim their spot at the top of an industry that has shaped them as much as they have shaped it.
BIGHIT MUSIC AND NETFLIX
The stage was in front of Seoul's historic Gwanghwam

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- But it had been a difficult three years, they added, spent yearning for the band to come back.
- But the decision had also drawn criticism.

### Implications
- If something happens elsewhere, there may be no staff left to respond, and access could be blocked because of the controls," one user wrote on X.
- In another post, pop music critic Jung Min-jae said: "If a comeback concert of this scale, one that effectively paralyses parts of the city centre, is allowed, then other artists or agencies may well request to use the same space in the future. "At that point, on what criteria will the Seoul Metropolitan Government approve or reject such requests?" But the government argued this was BTS, returning to reclaim their spot at the top of an industry that has shaped them as much as they have shaped it.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers bts, pop, music topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1477.