Ancient bell sound enters BTS album after museum chief’s inspirationThe resonant sound of Korea’s historic “Emille Bell” has been incorporated into BTS’s latest album, marking a unique fusion of traditional heritage and global pop music. According to the National Museum of Korea on March 20, a high-quality audio recording of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok — widely known as the “Emille Bell” — was used on BTS’s new track “No. 29,” featured on their fifth full-length album “Arirang.” “No. 29,” the album’s sixth track, serves as an interlude bridging the first and second halves of the record. The audio captures even the subtle “beating” phenomenon — a rhythmic fluctuation in sound intensity that produces a long, lingering resonance often imperceptible to the human ear. During a live broadcast held shortly after the album’s release, BTS leader RM said, “We set the track length to 1 minute and 37 seconds (actually 1 minute and 38 seconds) to match the duration of the bell’s resonance when it is struck.” The title “No. 29” is understood to reference the bell’s former designation as National TreasureMar 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
BTS tops brand reputation rankings upon full-group comebackGlobal K-pop group BTS has ranked No. 1 in singer brand reputation rankings immediately following their full-group comeback. According to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, March 21, BTS topped the March 2026 singer brand reputation rankings based on big data analysis. Lim Young-woong placed second, followed by IVE in third, BLACKPINK in fourth and WOODZ in fifth. The singer brand reputation index is calculated by extracting big data on artists whose music is widely consumed, and analyzing consumer behavior. The index evaluates participation, communication, media and community values, along with positive and negative sentiment ratios through a reputation analysis algorithm. BTS returned as a full seven-member group on March 20 with the release of their fifth full-length album “Arirang,” marking their first group comeback in about three years and nine months. The album features 14 tracks, including the lead-off song “SWIM,” and reflects the group’s accumulated experiences and personal reflections, offering a portrait of BTS at their current stage. This article frMar 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
Rare appearances, enduring devotion: Why Chinese fans still chase BTSWhen Hu Siyi, a 27-year-old Chinese fan of BTS, secured a ticket at midnight for the group’s concert at Gwanghwamun Square, she said she could hardly contain her excitement. “I came to Korea and restarted my undergraduate studies because of them,” Hu said. “I’m so happy that I feel like I might explode just thinking about their comeback.” Drawn in by the group’s music, Hu has been a fan for more than eight years. She said she was particularly drawn to the positive messages in their songs, as well as the members’ talent and involvement in songwriting and choreography. However, the group has had limited exposure in mainland China since Beijing’s unofficial restrictions on “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, following the 2017 deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Hu moved to Korea in May 2025, hoping to attend concerts and other in-person events after all the members completed their military service last year. “If they can’t come to where I live, I’ll just come to them.” Hu is among millions of Chinese fans who have remained devoted toMar 21, 2026By Alice Li
It's the day! D-Day arrives for BTS Gwanghwamun comeback concertIntense anticipation continues to grow in Seoul on Saturday as the countdown enters its final hours for BTS’ full-group comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square, with a massive crowd expected to gather in the Korean capital for the landmark event. The free outdoor concert, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and run for approximately one hour, is being staged to celebrate the release of the group’s fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” which dropped Friday. The performance will mark BTS’ first major stage in Korea as a complete seven-member act since completing mandatory military service. Authorities estimate that as many as 260,000 visitors could converge on the Gwanghwamun and City Hall area throughout the day. From early morning, fans from across Korea and overseas have begun filling nearby hotels, cafes and tourist sites, lending a festive energy to central Seoul. With a global livestream through Netflix also planned, the concert is expected to reach millions of viewers worldwide. As anticipation builds toward showtime, the Gwanghwamun stage is poised to host one of the most closeMar 21, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
'BTS brings out the good side in me': Filipino fan shares how BTS changed her lifeNobody knew how long fans would have to wait for BTS’ comeback. Filipino BTS fan Sweet Tappan is one of thousands who waited patiently for the seven-member megagroup's return and will finally see them perform at Gwanghwamun on Saturday, following the release of their full-length album “ARIRANG” on Friday. “They really promised to come back. We waited a long time for this so we're really excited,” Tappan told The Korea Times on Friday. She took a red-eye flight from Manila on Thursday night and arrived Friday morning, when she met with The Korea Times to visit sites included in the “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG” program, which allows fans to enjoy promotional events for BTS’ new album while touring historic locations in Seoul. Dressed from head to toe in red, the color of the new album, Tappan already has a packed schedule: On Friday she visited Love Song Lounge, Shinsegae Department Store’s The Heritage, and saw a light show at Sungnyemun, one of Seoul's historic gates, and a drone show at Ttukseom Hangang Park — things she would never do back home in the Philippines, whereMar 20, 2026By Park Ji-won
Different passports, same pulse: ARMY counts down the minutes to BTS show in SeoulAnticipation has peaked across Seoul. From subway platforms to cafe-lined streets, signs of K-pop juggernaut BTS’ impending Gwanghwamun Square performance and its vast global impact are increasingly visible throughout the capital. Light sticks protrude from backpacks, flashes of merchandise are seen as people weave through pedestrian traffic and clusters of overseas visitors move between landmarks that have taken on new symbolic meaning for the group’s worldwide fandom, called ARMY. Although the concert has yet to begin, its influence is already reshaping the city’s atmosphere, transforming central Seoul into a gathering point for a transnational community. Fans from across continents have arrived in steady waves, many describing the trip as the culmination of years of anticipation. “I became a fan during the pandemic,” said Rashika, who flew in from California and headed directly to Gwanghwamun after landing Thursday. “We followed all their solo releases, but seeing them together again feels completely different. It feels like a moment I've been waiting for.” At GwanghwamunMar 20, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS' 'Swim' soars to No. 1 on domestic music chart"Swim," the lead track of boy group BTS' latest studio album, topped the Top 100 main songs chart on Melon, a leading music streaming platform in South Korea, shortly after its release on Friday. "Swim," which was unveiled at 1 p.m., debuted straight at No. 1 on the Top 100 chart an hour later. In 2022, the group made history as the first act to reach No. 1 on the chart within an hour of release with "Yet to Come," following the chart's launch in 2021. As of 2 p.m., all 14 tracks from the new album had entered the chart, including "Body to Body" at No. 3, "Hooligan" at No. 6, "Aliens" at No. 9, and "Fya" at No. 11. The album "Arirang" also sold over 1.11 million physical copies as of 3 p.m. on Hanteo Chart, a leading local album sales tracker. The record surpassed 4 million preorders in January.Mar 20, 2026By Yonhap
'Excited and honored' to livestream BTS show: Netflix VPBTS will transform the heart of Seoul into a massive stage on Saturday as the K-pop band marks its historic return with a live performance at Gwanghwamun Square to celebrate the release of its new album "ARIRANG." The event will be broadcast live to more than 190 countries via Netflix starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, marking the first time the global streaming giant will host a live music event of this scale in Korea. Brandon Riegg, vice president of nonfiction series and sports at Netflix, said the partnership with HYBE was a natural fit for the platform's live strategy. "We're incredibly excited and honored to be able to partner with HYBE and BTS on this landmark event," Riegg said during a press conference in Seoul Friday. "As we look at entertaining the world and the big events in the live space that we tried to do, it was very clear from the start that this opportunity was one we could not pass up." Riegg added that the collaboration is a continuation of Netflix's belief in the power of Korean culture. "I think it really doesn't get any bigger than BTS, and what this tour and performanceMar 20, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
T.O.P unleashed: BIGBANG icon preps career-first full-length solo albumRapper and singer T.O.P is set to release his first full-length solo album since his debut, his agency said Thursday. The enigmatic rapper and BIGBANG veteran is finally ready to drop his first-ever solo studio effort. Titled “Another Dimension,” the project is slated to hit major streaming platforms on April 3, according to his agency, TOPSPOT PICTURES. Coinciding with the album’s reveal, the rapper has flooded his official channels with a series of high-concept teaser videos — visual appetizers for what is being billed as a radical creative pivot. According to TOPSPOT PICTURES, these clips go beyond promotion. They are a curated look into the “Another Dimension” concept, a world seemingly as avant-garde and meticulously crafted as the BIGBANG architect’s own storied art collection. The first teaser, “Studio54,” employs a distinctive typography effect, signaling the start of the album’s promotional rollout. A second teaser, “Desperado,” adopts a cinematic mise-en-scène, hinting at a shift in T.O.P’s musical style. The project represents a sweeping assertion ofMar 20, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
ReviewBTS revisits roots, swims forward on new album 'ARIRANG'K-pop juggernaut BTS has released its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” marking the group’s first studio project together in nearly four years and signaling what the members describe as the start of a new chapter, “BTS 2.0.” The 14-track record follows the 2022 anthology album “Proof” and was shaped through extended songwriting sessions involving all seven members. Part of that work took place in Los Angeles, where dozens of demo tracks were developed and refined. Built around themes of identity, growth and shared experience, “ARIRANG” is framed by the group as a reflection of BTS' identity today. The title draws from the Korean folk song long associated with longing and resilience, an idea the band said it aimed to reinterpret in a contemporary pop context. Following the release, BTS is set to begin major promotional activities, including a large-scale comeback performance at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square that will be livestreamed globally through Netflix. Roots, risk, sound of return Yet promotional scale alone does not explain what “ARIRANG” is trying to do. AfterMar 20, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
