BTS comeback brings cheers from fans worldwide

Members of BTS's ARMY attend the group's comeback concert in Seoul, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Fans from around the world, ranging from teenagers in Argentina to a housewife in Korea, gathered at Gwanghwamun Square, Saturday night, united by one sentiment: “It’s great to see BTS back together.”

Tens of thousands of ARMY members screamed, chanted and waved purple light sticks throughout the 60-minute concert, “BTS COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG,” the group’s first live performance in three years and five months.

“From the moment they said, ‘we’re back’ at the very beginning, I was already getting emotional. Seeing how well they prepared for their comeback show — it was really moving,” Bella Lai, 16, from Taiwan, told The Korea Times. Lai, who has followed the group for four years, also said: “All the ARMYs were chanting and singing together — the atmosphere was just amazing.”

Ann, a fan from the Philippines, said, “The show was overwhelming. The scale, the energy, the music — everything made it unforgettable. We’re just happy to be here.”

For Park Jee-yoon, a 49-year-old housewife from Korea, the struggle to secure tickets and the sacrifices she made to attend the weekend concert disappeared the moment she saw the group on stage.

“It was so good to see them back in person. I could feel that their performance has improved a lot,” Park said, adding that her only regret was not being able to sing along to the group’s new songs.

“I really hoped to sing along. I listened to the album all night to memorize the lyrics, but I couldn’t make it. But it’s OK because I will be attending the concert on April 9,” she said. BTS is scheduled to hold a concert in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on that date.

The band performed a total of 12 songs during the Saturday concert, including four of its earlier hits — a choice that resonated strongly with fans.

“I cried during ‘MIC Drop.’ I don’t know why — I think it’s because I didn’t expect them to perform older songs,” Keira Scahill, 29, from England, said. “I thought they might just sing songs from the new album.” “MIC Drop” was released on the group’s 2017 album "LOVE YOURSELF: Her."

“We thought the show was over, but then they came back for an encore,” Shirley Hu, 24, from mainland China, said. “I never expected them to sing ‘Mikrokosmos,’ since it’s been out for years and it’s a ballad. Everyone listened and sang along — it was the perfect way to end the show.”