Darkness has fallen over Seoul as the seven members of the South Korean pop band take to the stage, dressed in black and white.
Thank you for being here with us today, says band member J-Hope.
It was estimated in advance that around 260,000 fans would gather to watch the concert, according to AFP.
“We got tickets last week, so we are so happy to be a part of this,” visitor Jeanne tells The Korea Herald.
BTS took a break in 2022, while the seven band members were performing the mandatory military service required of men in South Korea. When they return to the stage, it is with the new album “Arirang”, which sold nearly four million copies in 24 hours, according to AFP. The name comes from a South Korean folk song, which is often called the country’s unofficial national anthem.
The security effort is extensive. Thousands of police officers are on standby to be deployed and the terror threat level has been raised for parts of Seoul.
The concert is streaming on Netflix in more than 190 countries.
