SEOUL – K-pop sensation BTS released their fifth studio album, Arirang, on Friday, a project the group says reflects a deeper connection to their Korean identity, as anticipation builds for their open-air comeback concert in Seoul on Saturday. The concert, expected to draw approximately 260,000 fans to Gwanghwamun Square, marks the group’s first performance together after nearly four years, following the individual completion of mandatory military service for each of the seven members.
The album’s title, Arirang, references a Korean folk song often considered the nation’s unofficial anthem, embodying themes of longing and separation. An animated trailer for the album depicts a historical narrative, appearing to draw from the story of Korean students whose rendition of the song was recorded by American anthropologist Alice Fletcher in Washington D.C. In 1896. The trailer transitions from the students’ journey to the United States to present-day BTS performing at Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, the venue for Saturday’s concert.
The release and concert come as South Korea observes the return of a significant cultural force. BTS was at the peak of its global fame when its members began fulfilling their mandatory military duties, starting with Jin in 2022 and concluding with Suga’s completion of service in June 2024. The group’s hiatus coincided with a period of political unrest in South Korea, with Gwanghwamun Square itself serving as a frequent site for protests. Professor Lee Ji-young of South Korea noted that BTS’s music provided solace during these times.
The Saturday concert is expected to feature songs from Arirang, which reportedly was partially recorded in Los Angeles. Even as the group has collaborated with Western songwriters and producers, the album’s title and themes serve to emphasize their Korean roots, according to Yale University sociology professor Grace Kao. “They are looking towards the future but reminding the fans and themselves of their history,” she said.
The event has spurred a surge in tourism to Seoul, with hotels fully booked and fans traveling from around the world. Mara Cristia Yao and Rodessa Ericka Bonon, fans from the Philippines, traveled to Seoul despite not securing concert tickets. “We are just going to come to this area anyway. We are figuring out where to position ourselves tomorrow,” Yao said, speaking near Gwanghwamun Square where the stage was being constructed.
BTS’s return is not merely a musical event but a demonstration of Korea’s growing cultural influence, alongside successes in film, television, literature, and beauty. The band’s global reach is underscored by a livestream deal with Netflix, which will broadcast the concert to approximately 190 countries. The concert will take place under a significant security operation.
Billboard’s K-pop columnist, Jeff Benjamin, described the album as “a love letter to their home country.” He added, “I do feel they’ll be remembered the way we remember the Beatles or Michael Jackson – not just as chart-topping acts but as artists whom the industry calculates time in terms of ‘before’ and ‘after’.”
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