The ‘Gwanghwamun Comeback Show’, set to become a historic chapter for BTS, is nearing.
On the evening of the 21st at 8 PM, BTS will stage ‘BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG’ near Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
This event celebrates the release of their fifth studio album ‘ARIRANG’ and will be available to stream globally on Netflix. The members will publicly premiere performances of their new songs, including the title track ‘SWIM’.
This marks their first full group stage in approximately three years and five months since ‘Yet to Come in BUSAN’ in October 2022, drawing global music fans’ attention.
The area near Gwanghwamun, the concert venue, was awash in purple, reflecting the excitement of both BTS members and their fans. Some fans collected special edition newspapers published for BTS’s comeback, keeping them as memorabilia.
Local shops enthusiastically joined in, displaying members’ photos outside and playing BTS music to attract attention. A nearby convenience store selling the recently released ‘ARIRANG’ album attracted foreign fans.
ARMY members from around the world gathered in Korea and Seoul for the group’s full comeback stage. An American ARMY member, identified as ‘A,’ described the comeback show as “amazing,” noting, “It’s very meaningful as it’s their first comeback after military service. I’m happy they’re back together.”
Taiwanese ARMY members, identified as ‘B’ and ‘C,’ expressed, “Everything is exciting and thrilling” ahead of the comeback show.
They agreed, “Health is the most important. We hope the comeback show concludes safely. ARMY is ready to enjoy it,” showing their affection for the members.
A Korean ARMY member from Gyeonggi-do, identified as ‘D,’ expressed excitement, saying, “I am looking forward to seeing all seven members together again as this is their first full group performance after discharge. The comeback songs are nice, and I am curious about which songs they will perform on stage.”
They added, “When it was first announced that the comeback show would be at Gwanghwamun, I worried if there would be space for me, but now that I am here, I feel a sense of national pride and hope it ends safely.”
With an estimated attendance of 260,000 people, the largest since the 2002 World Cup street cheering, Gwanghwamun was packed from early morning with police, volunteers, pedestrians, and fans. Fences were set up around the Gwanghwamun stage, and 31 gates were installed for entry, requiring body and belongings checks using walk-through metal detectors as police examined visitors.
Even non-fans passing through the area faced mandatory checks, causing some complaints due to Gwanghwamun’s high foot traffic, especially with citizens out for leisure in the warm spring weather.
Addressing these concerns, Jin, the eldest member, expressed on the fan community platform Weverse, “It is an honor to greet everyone together at such a meaningful place after a long time, and we want to express gratitude to those who helped and understood.”
