Kpop supergroup BTS performed to tens of thousands of fans in Seoul on Saturday in their first concert in more than three years, which saw authorities shut down the city’s historic downtown, though turnout was far smaller than expected.
The hour-long outdoor concert in Gwanghwamun Square was the group’s official comeback, after it helped make Korean pop music a global phenomenon before going on hiatus in 2022 while members fulfilled mandatory military service.
They returned on Friday with a new album, which their record label said sold nearly 4 million copies in its first day, ahead of a global tour that starts next month, billed as the biggest in K-pop history.
While there were only 22,000 tickets to the inner area to see Saturday’s concert live, Seoul authorities had anticipated as many as 260,000 people would turn out to be part of the crowd outside. An entire section of the city was sealed off with barricades.
In the end, most fans decided to stay away for now. The Yonhap News Agency, citing city government estimates, said 40,000-42,000 showed up. Fans, who call themselves the BTS ARMY, could watch the concert on Netflix
