BTS Links Gwanghwamun to the World: “The Majestic Return of BTS, the Driving Force of Korea’s Soft Power” [BTS Comeback]

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[Financial News] Reunited as a full group for the first time in about four years, BTS brought Gwanghwamun and the rest of the world together through Netflix.
To celebrate the release of Arirang, the fifth studio album by BTS, the group held "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" at 8 p.m. on the 21st at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The free concert drew 104,000 ARMY (the name of their fandom) from Korea and abroad, who gathered to witness the beginning of the group’s second chapter of activities.
The show opened with a sweeping drone shot following the so-called "King’s Road" from Bugaksan Mountain through Geunjeongmun Gate and Heungnyemun Gate at Gyeongbokgung Palace to Gwanghwamun Gate. Then 50 dancers lined up on the Gwanghwamun Gate terrace split to either side, and BTS emerged between them as the main performance began. After the tolling of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, featured on the new track "Number 29," performers from the National Gugak Center played and sang the folk song "Arirang," underscoring both the historic and symbolic nature of the event.
A frame-shaped stage as tall as a three-story building captured Gwanghwamun Gate and the seven members in a single view, heightening the symbolism. Media art projected onto the outer walls of Gwanghwamun Gate organically blended the cityscape, cultural heritage and BTS’s performance into a breathtaking spectacle. Over roughly an hour, the show synchronized the ARMY Bomb light sticks with the stage production, bathing the entire square in shifting colors of light.
The set list included global hits like "Butter" and "Dynamite," but eight of the twelve songs were new tracks. Dressed in black outfits designed by Songzio around a "hero" concept, the members performed songs such as "Hooligan" and "2.0," showcasing a significantly expanded musical spectrum.
BTS said, "The moment we heard the cheers filling the square, we felt an overwhelming sense that we had finally come back," adding, "It is truly an honor to be able to perform at Gwanghwamun, the most historic place in Korea."
A Taiwanese fan in her 40s who attended the show remarked, "The performance and stage production in such a historic space were extremely impressive," and added, "It has been 741 days since I started learning Korean through BTS, and this made me want to learn more deeply about Korean culture."
International media also showed intense interest. The New York Times (NYT) created a dedicated "BTS Return" section on its website and provided real-time coverage, describing the event as "the majestic return of BTS, the driving force of Korea’s soft power." CNN reported that many fans at the venue wore outfits inspired by hanbok, traditional Korean clothing.
The Associated Press (AP) called it "a comeback that chose evolution over commercialism," while Rolling Stone described the album as "a bold experiment that maintains a distinctly Korean identity."
Reuters characterized this comeback as a "massive global tour project spanning 34 cities and 82 shows" and projected concert revenue of up to $1.8 billion (about 2.7 trillion won). The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) predicted that the tour could rival or even surpass Taylor Swift’s "The Eras Tour," which holds the record for the highest-grossing tour of all time.
On its first day of release, the new album sold 3.98 million copies, breaking the group’s own previous first-week sales record of 3.37 million in just a single day.
Yoonji Kim, a senior researcher at the Overseas Economic Research Institute of The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), said on the 22nd, "If we assume 1 trillion won in ticket revenue from BTS concerts, we can expect about 1.8 trillion won in additional exports of consumer goods and a total production inducement effect exceeding 5 trillion won." She went on, "This event is strongly oriented toward generating tourism effects beyond the concert itself," and predicted, "The live global broadcast on Netflix is likely to have significant long-term ripple effects, including increased demand for travel to Korea."
HYBE, expressing gratitude for the cooperation that made the Gwanghwamun performance possible, stated that it will "develop and implement concrete measures to protect and promote national heritage and cultural properties."
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter