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David D. Lee

Gwanghwamun Square, the symbolic centre of the South Korean capital Seoul, is home to two statues – King Sejong, architect of the Korean alphabet Hangul, and Admiral Yi Sun-shin, the naval hero who repelled Japanese invasions – with the gates of the historical Gyeongbokgung Palace rising behind them.
On March 21, this open-air plaza will play host to a different kind of national icon: BTS.
The seven-member group – made up of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – will stage a free comeback performance in front of 22,000 fans, marking their first full show as a collective in nearly three and a half years, after the septet completed their mandatory military service.
This week, what many consider as K-pop’s global standard-bearer will begin the next chapter of an already illustrious career defined by Billboard No 1 hits, sold-out stadium tours and a fan base measured in the tens of millions.

When BTS announced the reunion during a live broadcast on the fan platform Weverse last July, more than 7 million viewers tuned in.
For many global fans, it will be the first chance to see the group perform live in seven years after a planned 2020 world tour was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The K-pop supergroup has laid out its comeback road map with meticulous planning. Their latest studio album, Arirang, is scheduled to drop on March 20, one day before the group’s comeback performance and some three weeks before they launch an 82-show world tour spanning 34 cities in 23 countries. BTS: The Return, a documentary about the group’s journey back to the stage, will debut on Netflix on March 27.
The tour – with additional 2027 dates yet to be announced – will kick off on April 9 at Goyang Stadium, which is located northwest of Seoul and has a seating capacity of more than 40,000. Shows in Goyang on April 11 and Tokyo on April 18 will be live-streamed in cinemas in 75 countries.
Their last global tour in 2019 grossed about US$246 million, a record for a K-pop act at the time. Analysts expect the upcoming tour to set new benchmarks for the industry, possibly rivalling Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which became the first live music tour to surpass the US$2 billion milestone.

Music industry magazine Billboard estimates that Hybe, BTS’ management company, could generate more than US$1 billion from the comeback through touring, merchandising, licensing and streaming revenue.
The South Korean government is also lending their support. Authorities have prepared extensive logistics for the concert, including traffic controls and public events around the historical plaza. Officials see the group’s comeback not only as an entertainment spectacle but also as a showcase for the global influence of Korean culture.
Kim Jeong-seob, a professor of entertainment studies at Sungshin Women’s University, says the government’s enthusiasm reflects the broader economic impact of K-culture.
“The governmental support for BTS’ comeback is substantial as the success of K-culture doesn’t just stop within the realm of popular culture,” he says. “It spills over to many other sectors such as K-beauty, tourism and consumer industries like automobiles and food.”
In 2025, South Korea welcomed a record 19 million foreign visitors, buoyed by global demand for Korean entertainment, beauty products and television dramas.

The influence of K-pop, especially in the case of BTS, is reaching far and wide. After their Mexico City stop of the tour sold out within 37 minutes earlier this year, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote to her counterpart, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, urging him to “bring the acclaimed K-pop artists more often” to the country. She noted that nearly a million fans had attempted to secure one of the 150,000 available tickets.
This kind of enthusiastic response to BTS’ return is not a given, as long hiatuses often create uncertainty in the K-pop industry.
Military service has disrupted several major boy bands. When EXO returned in 2023 after completing enlistments, the comeback was overshadowed by contract disputes between members and their agency.
BigBang saw their youngest member, Seungri, leave the group in 2019 after becoming embroiled in a sex and drugs scandal. The group’s remaining members now operate under different labels.
Even Blackpink, often seen as BTS’ closest counterpart in global popularity, faces an uncertain future as its members pursue solo careers under different agencies.

BTS, however, remains intact.
All seven members continue to be represented by the same company that launched their careers more than a decade ago, and the group has repeatedly emphasised that its core identity remains collective.
“When I looked into the numbers, around 1,200 idol groups have debuted over the past three decades,” Kim says. “On average, most groups lasted only about three to four years.
“It has now been exactly 30 years since the debut of H.O.T. in 1996 signalled the formation of the modern K-pop idol culture and industry. In this sense, the comeback stage of BTS can be seen as the defining outcome of 30 years of K-pop culture.”
BTS’ massive fandom, known as Army, has also remained faithful.
“I feel like they’re getting way too famous,” quips one devoted fan known as Rest Jinjoo on X.
The 33-year-old recently organised a birthday event in Seoul’s Yongsan district to celebrate Suga turning 33 on March 9.

Together with a friend, another BTS fan known as SweetMin on X, Rest Jinjoo rented a cafe space for four days, filling two floors with photos, posters and merchandise dedicated to the singer. A life-size cardboard cut-out served as a photo zone for fans from all over the world stopping by to celebrate.
“We just feel so proud of the boys because they literally came from nothing,” Rest Jinjoo tells the South China Morning Post.
When BTS debuted in 2013, they were not expected to dominate the global music industry.
At the time, the K-pop market was largely controlled by the “Big Three” entertainment companies – SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment – whose star-making systems shaped the contemporary idol industry.
BTS came from a smaller label, Big Hit Entertainment, led by founder Bang Si-hyuk. Lacking the promotional resources of its rivals, the agency turned to online platforms such as YouTube and what was then still Twitter to build an international following.
The strategy worked.

The company behind the group has transformed as well. Hybe, the entertainment giant that evolved from Big Hit, now generates annual revenues of about 2 trillion won (US$1.34 billion) and operates a multi-label system with global partners including Universal Music Group.
Weeks before the planned comeback, fans from around the world gathered outside Hybe’s headquarters in Seoul to celebrate Suga’s birthday.
Many had travelled thousands of kilometres – from countries such as Japan and Chile – despite knowing they would not secure tickets to the highly limited concert at Gwanghwamun Square.
Most will watch the March 21 performance through a global live-stream broadcast on Netflix in more than 190 countries.
SweetMin is one of the lucky few who will attend in person: “I couldn’t believe that I won the raffle,” she says, recalling how she was one of the 2,000 lucky Army members chosen to sit front row. “I was screaming when I realised what was happening.”

Outside Hybe’s headquarters on a recent cold afternoon, Isa Gerlach, an 18-year-old fan from Germany, takes photos with two strangers she met earlier in the day. Within minutes, the three are chatting like old friends.
She says it is common for Army members from around the world to bond quickly over their shared admiration for BTS.
“When J-Hope came to perform at Lollapalooza Berlin, it was crazy to see people from France, America and all over the world,” she says. “In a way, we made history that day.”
Ana Solis, a fan from Mexico, says Army members often share language tips, discuss Korean culture and spend hours watching edited BTS videos together.
Kim compares the relationship between BTS and their fans to that of a family.
“Because the growth of BTS did not happen suddenly or overnight but with the gradual nurturing from fans – almost like watering a plant – the relationship between the group and their fans came to mean something closer to that of friends or even family,” he says.

During BTS’ military hiatus, other K-pop acts have risen in prominence. Groups such as Stray Kids and IVE expanded internationally, but Kim argues that the industry did not experience a clear shift in leadership.
“A lot of this has to do with the legal troubles between Hybe and NewJeans,” he says, emphasising the hole left by the abrupt departure of one of K-pop’s most anticipated groups. “As for BTS, the members are approaching an age where it becomes harder to define them strictly as an ‘idol group’.”
Kim expects the group’s future to involve a mix of solo projects and subunit activities alongside occasional full-group releases.
“We may also see members publish books that explore their personal thoughts, life stories, hobbies or everyday reflections,” he says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone even published a collection of poems.”


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A concept photo from “Butter”, a song by BTS. The K-pop group is staging a free concert in Seoul, dropping a new studio album and preparing for a massive world tour. Photo: Instagram/bts.bighitofficial

The statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, where BTS are scheduled to perform on March 21, 2026. Photo: The Korea Times

BTS performs “Butter” at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in 2022, in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

A store displays photos of BTS in Seoul on March 15, 2026. Photo: EPA

BTS with their awards at the American Music Awards in 2021 in Los Angeles. Photo: AP

BTS fans gather on the backstreets of Hybe headquarters in Seoul to celebrate the birthday of BTS member Suga. Photo: David D. Lee

BTS members RM (bottom) and V react after being discharged from mandatory military service in Chuncheon, South Korea, in June 2025. Photo: AP

Workers set up the stage for the March 21, 2026, free concert by BTS at Gwanghwamun Square. Photo: EPA

BTS Army members Isa Gerlach (left), Ana Solis (centre) and Nigina outside Hybe headquarters in Seoul. Photo: David D. Lee

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K-pop fans Alana, left, and Faye from Australia attend an awards ceremony at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seongbuk district, Seoul. Photo: Korea Times/Kim Jun-hyung

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Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

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BTS’ return to the stage is set to redefine global music, with a free comeback performance, album drop and a massive world tour to come


BTS’ return to the stage is set to redefine global music, with a free comeback performance, album drop and a massive world tour to come.


Free BTS concert to mark a K-pop comeback like no other. Are you ready, Army?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}BTS’ return to the stage is set to redefine global music, with a free comeback performance, album drop and a massive world tour to come

BTS’ return to the stage is set to redefine global music, with a free comeback performance, album drop and a massive world tour to come