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In Seoul square of protest and history, BTS fans welcome grand comeback

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773900855825AFP__20260319__A3PL3ZR__v1__MidRes__SkoreaEntertainmentMusicBtsPolitics.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This picture taken on March 16, 2026 shows people visiting Gwanghwamun Gate (L), the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, in Seoul. The world&#x27;s biggest boy band is set for a comeback concert on March 21, after a nearly four-year hiatus for the septet to do military service — and while the nation went through traumatic times. <em>Photo by Jung Yeon-je, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>SEOUL, South Korea — Through months of winter protests in support of South Korean democracy, professor Lee Ji-young clutched her K-pop glowstick — a small but telling sign of her love for K-pop megastars BTS.</p><p>Now the world&#x27;s biggest boy band is set for a comeback concert on Saturday after a nearly four-year hiatus for the septet to complete military service — and while the nation went through traumatic times.</p><p>&quot;It feels like they&#x27;ve come back to reclaim their rightful place,&quot; said Sung Young-rok, 45, a BTS fan and traditional Korean artist, ahead of the open-air concert expected to draw 260,000 people to Seoul.</p><p>In late 2024, in a wealthy nation where democracy was thought to be well-anchored, then-president Yoon Suk-yeol shocked the world by trying to declare martial law, sending troops and helicopters to parliament.</p><p>His bid failed — Yoon is now in jail — but for a few tense hours it was touch-and-go.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/2/19/former-south-koream-president-gets-life-in-prison-for-insurrection-1635"><strong>READ: Former South Korean president gets life in prison for insurrection<br/></strong></a></div><p>And day after day, night after night, hundreds of thousands of South Koreans braved the biting cold to protest against his move.</p><p>Like her fellow protestors, Lee — who has researched BTS&#x27;s social impact — rarely let go of her glowstick signifying she is part of BTS&#x27; loyal fanbase known as ARMY.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/10/k-pop-and-light-sticks-fire-up-impeachment-protests-in-south-korea-1707"><strong>READ: K-pop and light sticks fire up impeachment protests in South Korea<br/></strong></a></div><p>The 55-year-old recalled how their lights shimmered as people marched at night, singing songs to keep up their spirits and warm up in the bitter cold.</p><p>&quot;Holding it gave me a sense of protection. I remember feeling that if something dangerous happened, (other ARMY members) would see the glowstick and come help me,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;And when you turn it on at night, it&#x27;s simply so beautiful. In many ways, it felt like a light that represented us — something beautiful and strong, a light that reminds you that you are not alone.&quot;</p><div><strong> Symbolic location</strong></div><p>The protests were held in the streets around the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace in downtown Seoul, and it&#x27;s no coincidence that this will be the backdrop for BTS&#x27;s concert.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s best-known landmark, built in 1395, has weathered centuries of destruction and restoration.</p><p>It has borne witness to hundreds of years of history, from the fall of the Joseon dynasty to the brutal decades of Japanese colonial rule.</p><p>In recent years, it has seen mass protests.</p><p>The area is a &quot;place that very much served as a national public square, where massive protests have taken place, and to stage a performance there is to try and directly engage with the national consciousness,&quot; Keung Yoon-bae, a Korean studies professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, told AFP.</p><p>The title of BTS&#x27;s new album, due to be released on Friday, is in the same vein.</p><p>It takes its name from &quot;Arirang,&quot; a beloved Korean folk song about longing and separation often described as an unofficial national anthem through war, division and displacement.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/3/4/bts-unveils-tracklist-for-arirang-album-1157"><strong>READ: BTS unveils tracklist for &#x27;Arirang&#x27; album<br/></strong></a></div><p>Loukia Kyratzoglou, 48, a BTS fan from Greece said the concept resonates for her.</p><p>&quot;Years of conflict and socioeconomic change have led to the migration of thousands of Greeks who left their country seeking a better future for their families,&quot; she told AFP.</p><p>&quot;Much like a migrant who longs to reunite with loved ones and walk again on the sacred ground of their homeland, BTS are returning to their roots after years of separation,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;And ARMY are here to welcome them back.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2026/3/19/bts-light-stick-prices-surge-ahead-of-comeback-concert-1407"><strong>READ: BTS light stick prices surge ahead of comeback concert<br/></strong></a></div><div><strong>Social pain</strong></div><p>It&#x27;s been arguably a tough time for BTS members in their roughly 18 months of military service.</p><p>Four served near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, which has separated thousands of families since the 1953 Korean War armistice and is known for barbed wire, harsh winters and gruelling training.</p><p>Member Jimin slept inside a self-propelled artillery vehicle.</p><p>BTS have generally steered clear of politics — including during the anti-Yoon protests — but they have not shied away from social issues.</p><p>They have spoken openly about mental health and racism, which they have experienced themselves, and donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter in 2019, inspiring fans to match the amount.</p><p>Their lyrics have tackled fame, loneliness and depression alongside themes of self-doubt.</p><p>Fans have responded with activism of their own, including projects supporting Korean adoptees seeking to reconnect with their birth families, often an emotionally painful and legally complex process.</p><p>&quot;In this very complicated political climate, I am proud that they from day one gave full credit to Black hip hop artists who inspired them,&quot; Malene Vestergaard, a Korean adoptee and a BTS fan in Denmark, told AFP.</p><p>&quot;That they didn&#x27;t erase their Korean heritage, that they spoke on Asian hate during COVID.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eb5JHcg4mwc?&amp;pp=ygUQYnRzIGFicy1jYm4gbmV3cw%3D%3D&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

In Seoul square of protest and history, BTS fans welcome grand comeback

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In Seoul square of protest and history, BTS fans welcome grand comeback

Agence France-Presse,

Claire Lee

Published March 19, 2026 02:33 PM PHT

|

Updated March 19, 2026 02:35 PM PHT

Read More:

K-content

K-pop

BTS

comeback

Arirang

ARMY

Gwanghwamun Square

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