BTS stages comeback concert at Gwanghwamun

Global attention will focus on Seoul’s Gwanghwamun on Thursday night. At 8 p.m. on March 20, which is 7 a.m. in New York, global icon BTS will hold its “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang” concert at Gwanghwamun Square, a historic site at the heart of the Korean Peninsula, marking its return after about four years.

The Gwanghwamun concert is expected to draw an estimated 260,000 people, making it the largest crowd for a private event since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. The performance will also be livestreamed on Netflix to viewers in more than 190 countries. This has fueled expectations that the event could establish Gwanghwamun as a landmark for K-culture.

A day before the concert, BTS heightened anticipation by releasing its fifth full-length album, “Arirang.” The group said Korean elements reflect its origins and roots, adding that it focused on expressing that identity in its own distinctive style while emphasizing Korean cultural themes.

International media outlets also covered the album’s release as breaking news, highlighting the historical significance of Gwanghwamun. The South China Morning Post described the area as a symbolic center of Seoul that will be transformed into a performance venue for the global group. It noted that Gwanghwamun Square features statues of King Sejong, who created the Korean alphabet, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who repelled Japanese invasions, with Gyeongbok Palace of the Joseon Dynasty standing behind them.

The area around Gwanghwamun has been filling with BTS fans, known as ARMY, since Thursday morning, turning it into what many describe as a pilgrimage site for K-culture. Near the stage set up in the square, hundreds of foreign fans gathered to listen together to “Swim,” the title track from BTS’s new album, creating a festive mood. Marissa Vina, 27, who traveled from Canada, said BTS is bringing positive energy to Gwanghwamun and that she plans to enjoy the festivities through Friday.

Ahead of the March 21 performance, the government is making an all-out effort to ensure safety in the Gwanghwamun area. Police plan to deploy about 6,700 personnel on the day of the concert to manage a 1.2-kilometer stretch from in front of Woldae to City Hall Station. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has, for the first time, issued a “caution” level disaster alert for a concert venue in the area, while a pan-government on-site control center has been set up at the Government Complex Seoul to monitor the situation in real time.


사지원 4g1@donga.com