BTS held a free reunion concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Saturday, marking their first full-group performance in nearly four years. The concert marked the release of BTS's new album Arirang, which sold 3.98 million copies on its first day of release. BTS had been on hiatus since 2022 while members completed mandatory military service. The concert was livestreamed on Netflix to over 190 countries. Authorities had expected about 260,000 people to attend the concert or gather in the surrounding area, but the actual attendance was significantly lower than that figure. Different entities provided varying attendance estimates: the Seoul metropolitan government estimated 48,000, the interior ministry estimated 62,000, police estimated 80,000, and Hybe estimated 104,000. According to major media reports, the discrepancies in attendance estimates are due to different counting methods, such as real-time urban data, aggregated base-station data, and ticketing and telecom data.
Extensive security measures were implemented for the event, including the deployment of over 6,500 police officers and thousands of other personnel. The terror alert level was raised in parts of Seoul for the event. These extensive preparations have sparked criticism over the use of public resources for a private event. The interior ministry says it is their responsibility to do their utmost to avoid potential accidents.
I don't think it's a failure for BTS.
Hybe's shares fell by approximately 14.5-15% on Monday after the concert. The concert is the start of BTS's sold-out 82-date world tour. According to major media reports, foreign fans made up 40-50% of the crowd at the performance. No Sweden stop is planned for the world tour, according to official sources.
According to SVT Kultur, journalist Kim Jae-heun believes the lower attendance was not due to a decline in BTS's popularity but factors like difficulty seeing the stage on-site, Netflix streaming, and heavy security measures. President Lee Jae Myung described the concert as an important occasion to confirm the country's cultural position globally. The impact of the lower attendance on BTS's planned world tour and future events is not yet known.