US EditionBTS Kicks Off Global Tour with South Korea Concert After Completing Military Service
Authorities deployed 15,000 safety personnel including 6,700 police officers to manage an expected crowd of 260,000 fans for BTS' comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square.
- On Saturday, BTS launched their free comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, a Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw more than 200,000 fans after a four-year hiatus.
- All seven members—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—recently completed South Korea's mandatory military service, which requires 18 to 21 months of duty.
- Authorities deployed 15,000 safety personnel, including 6,700 police officers, within a 200-meter-wide, 1.2-kilometer-long fenced zone accessible through 31 entrances equipped with metal detectors.
- The band's new album, 'ARIRANG,' sold 3.9 million copies on its first day, shattering the previous record of 3.3 million, while hotels in Jongno and Jung-gu reached 98% occupancy.
- While the concert kicks off an 82-show global tour, critics argue the district's strict lockdown is 'excessive,' referencing the deadly 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Security arrangements had been put in place because, for example, a terrorist threat was considered possible.
"Hi Seoul, we're back!" a member of the band threw in front of a crowd that was waiting for them in the cry of "BTS, BTS".
A long military service has kept them away from the stages for about 20 months each (from 2022 to 2025) and now the great return for the BTS. There is great ferment in Seoul, where hundreds of thousands of fans are flowing into the historic center for the return of the most successful band of recent years in South Korea. It is expected that more than 100 thousand people will meet today, March 21, in Gwanghwamun Square, writes the BBC, where the …
South Korean authorities have warned of an increased terrorist threat ahead of the concert in Seoul.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
