Fans elated despite big-city exhaustion just hours ahead of BTS’ Gwanghwamun show
Sugdiyona, left, an Uzbekistan BTS fan, and her friend Han Hee-young from Korea pose near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Saturday, just hours before the K-pop boy band's comeback concert. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
Hours before BTS is set to take the stage at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, it had already begun to feel less like a city center and more like a vast, improvised fan village.
By Saturday afternoon, sidewalks, subway exits and café terraces surrounding the plaza were packed with fans of BTS — known as ARMY — from across Korea and overseas. Some leaned against barricades scrolling through streaming apps, while others clustered beneath roadside trees, sharing snacks and swapping travel stories while keeping a constant eye on the vastly expanding crowd.
The mood was a mix of fatigue and excitement — a familiar paradox for fans who had traveled long distances for a rare chance to witness the group up close.
“There are so many people here which makes it quite exhausting, but we’re planning to stay here until the concert starts at 8 p.m.,” said Han Hee-young, 20, who had arrived early with her friend Sugdiyona, 19, from Uzbekistan.
The two stood out in the throng with purple balloons and ice-cream cones — the symbolic color of the group — purchased from a nearby café, small yet deliberate symbols of participation.
For Sugdiyona, becoming a BTS fan during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that much of her early fandom experience unfolded online. So for her, being present in Seoul on the day of the group’s comeback show carried more significance — even without a ticket.
“It’s my first time,” she said. “I didn’t have many chances before because I’m still a student. Even though it’s tiring, I really wanted to come and watch from the surrounding area.”
Asked whether she planned to remain in the packed district until the show began, she nodded without hesitation.
“Yes. It’s hard, but I’m enduring it because I’m a fan,” she added.
Rossa Jamil, left, and Olivia Cindee, Malaysian fans of K-pop boy band BTS, pose near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Saturday, just hours before the K-pop boy band's comeback concert. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
Across the district, similar scenes unfolded as fans compared impressions of BTS' newly released "ARIRANG" album, which dropped a day earlier. Many said they had spent the morning alternating between replaying tracks and scouting vantage points that might offer a glimpse of the stage.
Under a row of roadside trees, Malaysian visitors Olivia Cindee, 35, and Rossa Jamil, 46, sat resting their feet while discussing how the day had already exceeded their expectations.
“It feels surreal,” Cindee said. “We’ve followed BTS for years, mostly through screens and livestreams, so being here in Seoul on the day of such a major concert is very exciting.”
Despite failing to secure tickets during the competitive reservation process, the two said they had no regrets about making the trip.
“At this point, even being nearby is meaningful for us,” Cindee said. “We just want to be part of the moment.”
The pair said they had listened to the new album as soon as it was released, noting a shift in the group’s sound that they found both surprising and emotionally resonant.
“It feels different from their previous albums. There’s a new kind of depth,” Cindee said, as Jamil added that certain tracks had given her “shivers.”
“No matter what kind of music they release, we will support them,” Cindee said.
Lina Azan, a university student from Yemen and fan of K-pop group BTS, poses near Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul, Saturday, hours ahead of the group’s comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
For others, the journey to Gwanghwamun reflected a deeper personal narrative shaped by the group’s message. Lina Azan, 24, who first discovered BTS as a teenager in Yemen, said the band’s influence had extended far beyond music.
She woke before dawn and arrived near the square shortly after sunrise, navigating dense crowds that continued to swell throughout the day.
“I woke up at 5 a.m. and got here around 7 a.m.,” she said. “It’s tiring and very crowded, but for BTS I don’t really mind. I just want to be part of this moment.”
Azan said she had been a fan since she was 13 and later chose to pursue studies in Korea partly because of the inspiration she drew from the group.
“They motivated me to study hard so I could earn a scholarship and experience life here,” she said.
Listening to the new album had reinforced her emotional connection to the band, she added, citing several favorite tracks while noting that she still hoped to fully grasp the meanings behind some of the lyrics.
As evening approached and anticipation intensified, exhaustion remained visible in the slow shuffle of fans adjusting backpacks, searching for patches of open pavement or simply sitting down wherever space allowed.
Yet the underlying mood — buoyant, celebratory and somewhat determined — suggested that endurance itself had become part of the shared ritual.
For Azan, the hours spent waiting under shifting spring light carried a symbolic weight shaped by years of personal struggle.
“Sometimes life back home can feel very difficult,” she said. “But whenever I listen to their songs, I feel encouraged to keep going.”