BTS made a long-awaited comeback by holding a concert in Seoul, Korea on Mar. 22.
The comeback concert has such internation attention as to demonstrate the spread of Korean culture beyond just music.
Tens of thousands of BTS fans of all nationalities and ages cheered in unison at the spectacle of the seven BTS members.
Gwanghwamun Square, the venue of the concert, was dyed purple with light sticks.
Purple is the symbolic color of BTS. It resembled a single, massive concert hall.
Even spectators far away from the stage joined in, watching the live performance on large LED screens installed on buildings or on their smartphones.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as of 8 p.m., 40,000 to 42,000 people had gathered near Gwanghwamun and Deoksugung Palace. An unofficial police estimate was also 42,000.
The official seating area in the plaza had a total capacity of 22,000 seats, divided into Zone A (standing), Zone B (reserved seats), and Zone C (additional seats).
The rest of the audience watched the performance from the surrounding area of the plaza.
The concert, held on March 21, took place amidst the interest of fans both at home and abroad.
Anticipation spread online and through fan communities even before the performance began.
Videos of the concert and reactions were rapidly shared via social media and video platforms. Related keywords rose to the top of global trends.
On the “MIC Drop” stage, the performance and audience roared together with collective cheers in sync with the rhythms and choreography.
During “Mikrokosmos,” a crowd sing-along spread across the entire plaza.
The title Mikrokosmos references the ancient Greek philosophy of microcosm.
The simultaneous lighting of the light sticks also created a sense of visual unity. The performance unfolded with a focus on audience participation.
BTS’s performances and the audiences’ reactions went hand-in-hand in downtown Seoul on the special evening.
The concert spread Korean content and culture. Fans sang along to Korean lyrics exactly as they were Language and culture were conveyed together through the medium of music.
The album “Arirang,” released alongside this comeback, also garnered much attention.
The track ‘Aliens’ prominently features the Korean language and a Korean perspective. It reflects a self-awareness regarding Western-centric culture.
This revealed a change in the way K-pop expresses itself in the global market.
HYBE, the agency of the group BTS, expressed its gratitude to government and local officials who worked hard to ensure that BTS’s comeback show at Gwanghwamun Square was carried out safely.
It also expressed appreciation to citizens who may have experienced inconvenience due to the concert in downtown Seoul.
“We deeply thank you for your support and consideration regarding BTS’s Gwanghwamun performances,” HYBE said in a statement.
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