Bts Reunites After Military Hiatus With Historic Seoul Comeback Performance

SEOUL — K-pop supergroup BTS made their agelong awaited return to nan shape Saturday pinch a capacity astatine Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, marking nan band’s first quality together successful astir 4 years.

The seven-member boy group — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — reunited aft completing mandatory South Korean subject work and pursuing solo projects during their hiatus.

The comeback concert, staged astatine nan historical plaza successful cardinal Seoul, comes up of an 80-plus-date world circuit crossed nan U.S., Europe and Asia.

K-pop boy set BTS execute onstage during their comeback performance connected March 21.Kim Hong-Ji - Pool / Getty Images

BTS were granted typical support by nan Korean Heritage Service to execute astatine Gwanghwamun Square, nan main gross of Gyeongbokgung Palace, a landmark making love backmost to nan Joseon Dynasty. Organizers described it arsenic nan first awesome unrecorded capacity held astatine nan site, pinch nan show besides livestreamed globally.

Fans, known arsenic nan “BTS Army,” traveled from astir nan world to attend.

“We haven’t seen them successful truthful long. Having this hap and to beryllium [in Seoul] astatine nan aforesaid clip feels surreal to me. It feels for illustration nan world is celebrating,” said 29-year-old Nina, who declined to supply a past sanction and traveled from Brisbane, Australia, for nan event. “Being from Australia, because of Covid, we missed retired connected concerts, truthful it’s insane to beryllium present and witnesser our group travel back. It’s almost successful beforehand of us.”

Fans respond arsenic they watch nan comeback performance of K-pop boy group BTS connected a surface astatine nan venue successful Seoul connected March 21.Jung Yeon-je / AFP - Getty Images

The capacity blended modern popular pinch accepted Korean elements. The group took nan shape by stepping on a historical pathway erstwhile utilized by Joseon Dynasty kings, while parts of nan show incorporated hanboks, accepted Korean clothing.

The group database featured songs from their latest album, “Arirang,” released Friday and named aft a accepted Korean people song, alongside world hits including “Dynamite” and “Butter.”

Speaking to HYBE, nan group’s guidance company, RM said, “To maximize nan symbolic abstraction of Gwanghwamun, we designed nan shape pinch an unfastened ‘cube’ building that ensures an unobstructed view. The cardinal constituent was to framework some Gwanghwamun and nan shape successful a azygous surface without either blocking nan other.”

Despite an ankle injury, RM performed pinch constricted movement, pinch different members joining him during parts of nan choreography.