SEOUL: South Korean megastars BTS reunited on Saturday (Mar 21) for their first show in nearly four years, blowing away enormous crowds in Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza livestreamed to millions more worldwide.
Widely lauded as the biggest boy band in the world, BTS went on hiatus in 2022 so the seven members could serve compulsory stints in the South Korean military.
The comeback concert by the group at the vanguard of the Korean cultural wave was staged on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung royal palace – a fitting venue for the Kings of K-pop.
Enormous crowds of fans – 260,000 were predicted before – descended on Seoul from morning onwards in colourful costumes, taking selfies and clutching BTS Army glowsticks.
Before they came on stage, fans chanted “BTS! BTS!” with the main boulevard leading up to Gwanghwamun Square – the symbolic heart of Seoul – ram-packed with people as far as the eye could see.
“Hi Seoul, we are back,” one of the group said.
Gwanghwamun Gate was lit in rainbow colours, as a massive stage installation featuring three circular features – symbolising BTS’s new album – glowed beneath towering lighting rigs.
Lee Yeon-seo, 36, a South Korean who travelled from the southern city of Jeonju, was one of those who arrived early.
“My seat is actually toward the front, near the main stage, so I’m even more excited thinking I’ll get to see them up close,” she told AFP.
“With the tour kicking off in April, this is the beginning of their new journey. In a way, it feels like an honour to experience it live like this, more vividly than most people.”
“I’m from Australia so I came down to Korea for the culture and for the BTS concert, just to see,” Gloria Moloney, 22, told AFP.