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Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul’s Jongno District filled with cheers and a sea of purple on March 21 as BTS fans from around the world gathered to celebrate the group’s return. At the center stood LUUX, the country’s largest digital signage display, which went beyond a conventional screen to function as a real-time platform connecting fans.

At 4:58 p.m., the massive LUUX display began livestreaming the crowd, drawing loud cheers from Jen Ujebilo, 38, and Lyn Castillo, 38, who had traveled from the Philippines, as they spotted themselves on the screen. Ujebilo, busy capturing the moment on her smartphone within the purple-framed broadcast, said the experience made the day all the more special. The segment was part of the “Live! Photo with ARMY” event, which projected fans onto the 3,000-square-meter display three times before and after the concert, heightening the celebratory mood.

LUUX operated for 18 hours from 6 a.m., aligned with the BTS event schedule. A countdown marking the time remaining until the concert aired at the top of every hour, and from 10 a.m. the screen shifted to split views showing live footage of the venue, gradually building anticipation.

The display also carried fan-funded tribute videos marking BTS’s full-group return, along with individual advertisements dedicated to members such as V, Jungkook and J-Hope. Fans gathered at scheduled broadcast times to take photos and share them on social media, each joining the celebration in their own way. Visitors from South Korea and abroad frequently stopped to capture images of the towering screen.

For two hours before and after the concert, organizer-produced content turned LUUX into a vast open-air theater. Shortly after the performance ended, BTS lyrics appeared across the screen along with a message reading “Thank you for being with us,” prompting a burst of camera shutters throughout the square. Cho, 40, who has followed BTS since 2020, said seeing the word “BTS” on LUUX from a distance while walking from City Hall Station left a deep impression.


이다겸 기자 gyeom@donga.com