SPECIAL OPINION: Song crosses century as BTS stands at Gwanghwamun SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Songs rarely defy the gravity of time. Even those that define an era typically fade as the industry of music demands rapid production and immediate consumption. Most melodies remain trapped within their own chronology, yet Arirang stands as the definitive exception. It is not the work of a single composer or a finished product born at a specific moment; it is a collective creation, an accumulation of voices across a century of records and even longer oral trad March 21, 2026

BTS Live: How purple are you? Inside every ARMY's story SEOUL, March 21 (AJP)-Many had crossed the Pacific and the Atlantic. On the day of the concert, they arrived dressed for the scene — in purple. Scarves, dresses, glow sticks and dyed hair turned central Seoul into a moving spectrum of the group’s signature color, as fans circled the barricaded perimeter of Gwanghwamun Square ahead of BTS’s comeback concert. From the open-air stage, rehearsal tracks from the new album carried across the plaza — loud, me March 21, 2026

BTS Live Update: AJP joins purple, BTS members share mix of nerve and excitement SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -AJP and its sister publication Aju Business Daily joined the wave of anticipation in Gwanghwamun, distributing special BTS editions in Korean, English and Chinese to fans gathering ahead of the evening concert. More than 20,000 copies were handed out, quickly drawing crowds as fans flocked to pick up the editions featuring the latest group photo on the front page. “I love the photo. It’s something I don’t have,” one fa March 21, 2026

BTS Live: Global fans brave biting winds to witness K-pop legend's Seoul comeback SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -Thousands of spectators are currently gathering in central Seoul under a clear spring sky, enduring a sharp 6 kilometers per hour southwest wind that has kept temperatures at a persistent 12 degrees Celsius. The conditions, while visually brilliant, present a physical trial for international fans who have occupied the open stone expanses of Gwanghwamun Square since the early morning hours. The massive assembly serves as the live launch for "Arirang,&quo March 21, 2026

BTS Live: Seoul fights to ensure "bangtan" - bulletproof and safe show SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -BTS, the English acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan — “bulletproof” — will return to the stage in a city determined to live up to the name. Seoul authorities are moving to ensure that the group’s largest-ever crowd show at Gwanghwamun ends, quite literally, bulletproof. Security has been dialed up to an extraordinary level, shaped by the lingering trauma of the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush and rising geopolitical risks, from Mi March 21, 2026

BTS Live: Seoul rehearses for comeback show with own digital and drone spectacle SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -The city did not wait for the real show. On the eve of BTS’s comeback show Friday, Seoul became the stage itself — a vast, breathing amphitheater where sky, stone and river moved in sync to a rhythm already familiar to millions. Above Gwanghwamun, the night opened like a screen. Drones gathered in disciplined silence before bursting into motion, sketching constellations that resolved into faces, logos, fragments of memory. Nearly 2,000 points o March 21, 2026

Animuscure receives FDA orphan drug designation for ALS treatment candidate SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Animuscure, a biotech startup founded by Sookmyung Women’s University (SWU) Pharmacy Professor Bae Gyu-un, announced that its drug candidate AMC6156 has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug is currently being developed to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the gradual damage March 21, 2026

GULF CRISIS: Trump signals "winding-down" , Seoul joins statement on Iran SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a potential shift toward winding down military operations against Iran while he continuing to press key Asian allies, including South Korea, to take a more active role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy artery. South Korea belatedly joined a statement by Japan and other non-Gulf countries condemning Iran for weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said Was March 21, 2026

BTS Live D-1: The world turns out in Seoul on eve of comeback concert SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) — The world has already arrived in Seoul. Under a clear spring sky, with budding mountains framing the city and the Taegeukgi fluttering alongside flashes of purple hanbok, Gwanghwamun on Friday felt both familiar and entirely transformed — a day before BTS returns to the heart of downtown Seoul. Crowds surged through the plaza, funneled into narrow corridors by police barricades. Safety personnel stood at regular intervals, scanning the moveme March 20, 2026

BTS returns with 'ARIRANG,' draws mixed early response despite global hype SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) — BTS’ long-awaited fifth studio album ARIRANG landed Friday to a more muted-than-expected reception, as early listeners welcomed the group’s full-member return but questioned the album’s restrained tone and artistic direction. Released at 1 p.m., the music video for the title track “Swim” surpassed 5 million views within 50 minutes, while the song quickly topped domestic charts including Melon and Bugs, followed by “Bo March 20, 2026