K-pop sensation BTS returns with a comeback concert in Seoul, South Korea after a 4-year hiatus

Seoul, South Korea — After a four-year hiatus, K-pop band BTS returned on Saturday with a massive, free concert in Seoul, where thousands of police blocked off a central street for the Netflix exclusive that attracted tens of thousands of fans.

“Annyeonghaseyo! We’re back,” RM, the band’s leader, told the crowd, using the Korean word for “hello,” as they opened with “Body to Body,” drawing delirious screams from fans waving purple and red light sticks and shoving smartphones in the air.

All seven members of the group — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — recently completed mandatory military service in South Korea, and are hoping to reclaim their status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts.

The show at Gwanghwamun Arena launches a global tour that will include dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each quarter.

The hour-long concert came after the band on Friday released its fifth album, “ARIRANG,” which sold nearly 4 million copies on its first day, said the band’s management company, HYBE. The company also said that RM injured his ankle during training, but still performed with the modified choreography.

BTS’s concert, which started at 8 p.m., attracted tens of thousands of people to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who received free seats in a designated viewing area and others who watched on nearby screens. The show was streamed live on Netflix.

“It will be amazing because it has been a long time since BTS has not been with us,” Dalila Di Tullio, a 32-year-old Italian fan, said before the concert, describing it as a once-in-a-century event.

BTS debuted in 2013 and has a large group of global supporters who call themselves “The Army.” They became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2020 with their first all-English single, “Dynamite.”

The impact of BTS’s return as a full group will be huge at a time when the global K-pop fanbase has become much stronger, as evidenced by the success of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” said Jung Dokhyun, a pop culture commentator.

Strict crowd controls

Dark streets were ablaze with light as crowds sang and cheered from cordoned off sections, a jubilant scene played out with an unusually heavy police presence to control the crowds.

“I still remember clearly how at our last concert in Busan a few years ago we asked you to wait for us. Thank you very much for coming here like this,” Jin said.

The band performed songs from their new album, including “SWIM,” along with hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter.” Some members appeared to cry as they thanked the fans who braved the cold night, before holding hands and bowing to the audience to conclude the show.

Police and city officials closed nearby streets and roads, stopped subway and bus services in the area, and closed dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounted to a day-long lockdown of the area.

Thousands of police officers maintained a tight perimeter around the parade venue, corralling the crowds with a maze of fences and buses. Partygoers began lining up by midday to secure locations along nearby roads, passing through security checkpoints and metal detectors at designated entry points. The restrictions forced nearby stores to close and police were forced to use their buses to transport wedding guests to a nearby location.

“I was hoping to see if we could go through some holes or be there,” said Bernice Sanchez, a 52-year-old Swiss fan, looking for a place to wait. “It seems we can’t because they will ask people to leave.”

While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety seriously since a 2022 Halloween spree that killed nearly 160 people, critics say controls went too far and undermined the symbolism of the performance in Gwanghwamun, which is seen as the spiritual heart of Seoul and the most prominent gathering place.

Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Gwanghwamun in recent years to mourn, protest and celebrate as the country weathered tragedy and political turmoil. BTS’s concert came about a year after the area was filled with waves of protesters, demanding the ouster of former President Yoon Suk-yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Those months-long rallies featured a festive atmosphere and a dizzying mix of politics and pop culture, with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop sticks, and ended without major safety incidents.

Relying on culture and heritage

BTS’s new album, “ARIRANG,” takes its name from a centuries-old folk song considered an unofficial anthem in both Koreas, where its themes of breakup, longing and quiet resilience have echoed across generations.

Gwanghwamun and neighboring Gyeongbok Palace provided an sweeping historical backdrop for Saturday’s show, highlighted by lighting effects that bathed the palace gate and walls in purple, red and blue.

Suga told the audience that the album title and decision to perform in Gwanghwamun reflect the group’s focus on identity. RM said the band focused on making music that felt true to themselves when they reunited to work on the new album.

“We wanted to show who we are and how we can come together,” he told the audience.

South Korean officials, including current President Lee Jae-myung, expressed hope that the event would strengthen the country’s culture and soft power.

The group’s return coincides with the rise of global K-Pop

The group’s return comes after a nearly four-year hiatus due to South Korea’s mandatory military service, which requires most able-bodied men to serve for 18 to 21 months under a conscription system aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea. The BTS members began service in 2022, and Suga was the last to complete his service in June 2025.

Some analysts say the group’s “Arirang” world tour could become the biggest K-pop tour ever in terms of size and revenue, with 82 global shows planned in stadiums with a seating capacity of about 50,000. Ha Jae-kyun, a culture critic, said BTS will likely have a “second peak,” as they have maintained a very strong fan base and will benefit from the broader international rise of K-pop.

“We will do our best to give it our all,” J-Hope said.

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Associated Press video journalists Young Jun Chang and Young Ho Kim contributed to this report.