The statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin stands prominently at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where BTS’s comeback concert will take place. Jokes have circulated that Admiral Yi — often called the “god of naval warfare” — has secured the best seat in the house for the performance. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — When BTS announced a free comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, social media erupted with the kind of fervor typically reserved for national holidays.
“The first and only group that can shut down the heart of Seoul for a free gift to their fans,” one user wrote on X. “They left as legends, they’re coming back as history,” another declared.
The concert will precede the group’s 82-date world tour, “Arirang,” set to begin in April. But for many overseas fans, the true prize is not Los Angeles or London — it is Seoul. Performances in Gwanghwamun, Goyang and Busan have become the focal point of a global pilgrimage.
On Reddit’s Bangtan forum, which counts more than 720,000 members, practical concerns quickly eclipsed poetry. “Hotel now, concert ticket later,” one fan advised. Others lamented soaring accommodation prices and vanishing room availability, especially for June shows in Busan. “The price is now crazy,” a user wrote, while another complained that hotels appeared sold out and Airbnb options scarce.
A foreign fan books tickets for BTS’s world tour concert at a PC café in Seoul on Jan. 22. (Reuters/Yonhap)
Instagram and Facebook have been equally animated. West Coast American fans joked about sacrificing sleep to compete in Korean ticket sales windows. When Netflix announced it would livestream the Gwanghwamun concert, some worried the streaming platform might buckle under the weight of global demand. “Everyone knows BTS and ARMY’s power,” one commenter wrote.
Fans from Sri Lanka, India and Saudi Arabia have sought travel companions online, swapping tips on ticketing systems and even offering to book flights and hotels for strangers willing to attend together. For some, the event has become a once-in-a-lifetime aspiration, years in the making.
Yet the excitement has been tempered by frustration and concern.
Scalping has emerged as a flashpoint. On X, a “Play & Stay” package for the Goyang show was advertised at $2,500 — more than double the official price of about 1.59 million won — prompting outrage from fans who failed to secure tickets. “My Instagram is flooded with resellers,” one Reddit user wrote. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Foreign tourists pose for photos on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno District, Seoul, in front of promotional materials announcing the comeback of BTS as a full group for the first time in three years and nine months this March. (Yonhap)
There are also worries about crowd safety. Several fans referenced the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, urging authorities to prepare sufficient crowd-control measures for the free outdoor concert at Gwanghwamun, one of Seoul’s busiest public squares.
“I hope things go smoothly and security makes sure there are no issues,” one commenter wrote. “Really hoping no one gets hurt.”
The intensity of the reaction underscores BTS’s singular position in global pop culture — a group capable not only of topping charts but of reshaping travel patterns, hotel pricing and even the pulse of central Seoul.
As March approaches, the anticipation — and the logistical scramble — suggest that BTS’s homecoming will be more than a concert. For many fans, it is a journey, a reunion and, perhaps, a moment of history in the making.
A view of Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The statue of King Sejong can be seen behind the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. (Yonhap)
