On March 21 at 8 PM KST, BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) held their comeback showcase BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG to celebrate the release of their fifth full-length album ARIRANG.
According to HYBE, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the total number of attendees—both inside and outside the venue—was estimated at 104,000 people.
“Based on our internal calculations with the Seoul city, today’s audience is estimated at 104,000 in total,” the company stated.
This figure is significantly lower than the 260,000 attendees initially expected by the city. Meanwhile, police unofficially estimated the crowd at around 42,000 people.
The official seating capacity at Gwanghwamun Square was approximately 22,000 seats, but many fans without tickets gathered around nearby streets and surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the performance.
The event marked BTS’s first full-group comeback in 3 years and 9 months, heightening anticipation among fans worldwide.
The group released their fifth studio album ARIRANG on March 20, featuring a total of 14 tracks, including the title song “SWIM.”
The album achieved remarkable success immediately upon release, selling 3.98 million copies on its first day, topping the Hanteo daily chart and surpassing BTS’s previous first-week sales record of 3.37 million copies in just one day.
The massive turnout at Gwanghwamun once again highlighted BTS’s global influence, even as varying crowd estimates sparked discussion among fans and observers.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스