"BTS Is My Whole Life"...Global Fans Flock to Gwanghwamun [BTS Comeback]

According to Financial News, the area around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul is turning purple ahead of BTS's comeback concert. Even before the show began, fans from Korea and abroad were gathering one after another, filling the scene with intense excitement and anticipation.
At 12:30 p.m. on the 21st, just before the BTS comeback concert, Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District was packed with ARMY, the BTS fandom, leaving barely any room to move. Fans arrived at the venue dressed in purple merchandise and outfits. Across Gwanghwamun, electronic billboards and banners featuring BTS were on display. Fans from around the world kept snapping photos, pressing their camera shutters nonstop.
Boleme Miae (21), from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said, "I'm so excited that it still doesn't feel real that BTS is getting back on stage," adding, "I've been a fan since 2018, and because they've been with me from childhood until now, BTS feels like a friend to me."
According to police, up to 260,000 people were expected to gather around Gwanghwamun Square that day. This would be the largest crowd since the 2002 World Cup street cheering events, which drew about 200,000 to 250,000 people. Police were especially on high alert because, unlike during the World Cup, large numbers of foreign visitors were expected and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East had raised concerns about possible terrorist attacks. As a result, a significantly reinforced and tight security posture was maintained on site.

Strict controls were in place starting from the area around City Hall Station. From 3 p.m., trains passed through City Hall Station without stopping, and even before that, only a few exits were partially open. Police officers, Seoul Metro staff, and guides stationed throughout the area directed the crowd, repeatedly asking people to "keep to the right" as they managed the flow of pedestrians. At the 31 gates that people had to pass through to enter the square, security checks were carried out, and pedestrians had to walk through a walk-through metal detector, a metal detector gate (MD), to screen for dangerous items.

In the Gwanghwamun area, some newspapers distributed special extra editions to mark BTS's comeback concert, creating an unusual sight. Fans eagerly picked up copies and treated them like a kind of concert merchandise. Jung, a 35-year-old who traveled from Mokpo City in South Jeolla Province to see the show, gathered a stack of these extras and could not hide her excitement.
Jung said, "I don't have a ticket, but I came because I wanted to soak up the atmosphere on site," adding, "I'm especially looking forward to the newly released title track. I heard there would be huge crowds today, so I came prepared for the possibility that I might not be able to get out of Gwanghwamun easily."

Some fans at the venue stood out in outfits that matched the concept of BTS's comeback. Bang, a 45-year-old from Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, came to the concert wearing a modern hanbok inspired by BTS's fifth full-length album, "Arirang." She explained, "Since the album is called 'Arirang,' I decided to wear a modern hanbok today," and added, "I'm just happy that BTS is finally performing again as a full group, and I'm thrilled that our country is supporting them in promoting Korea to the world through this concert."
Fans expressed a particularly deep affection for BTS. Won, a 17-year-old fan, said, "I've liked BTS since I was seven, so it's already been ten years," and continued, "BTS is basically my whole life. I hope they keep going and continue their amazing work for a long time to come."
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yu-ha Reporter