BTS is back, and the group’s first-day numbers underscored the scale of the return after a 3-year, 9-month wait. According to Hanteo Chart on Friday, BTS’ fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” released at 1 p.m. Thursday, sold 3.98 million copies on its first day to top the daily chart. The figure surpassed the previous record first-week opening tally set by the group’s 2020 album “MAP OF THE SOUL : 7,” which sold 3.37 million copies, in just one day. The new album reached million-seller status within 10 minutes of release and went to No. 1 on iTunes’ Top Albums chart in 88 countries and regions.
The title track, “SWIM,” also led iTunes’ Top Songs chart in 90 countries and regions, including the United States and Japan, as of 9 a.m. Friday. In South Korea, it topped Melon’s Top 100, while B-side “Body to Body” ranked No. 2.
Kim Hyeon-jeong, a vice president at BigHit Music, said the album was built from the members’ roots and was produced to help global fans follow the message. “We used Korean and English in alternation so fans around the world can understand the message and enjoy it across generations,” she said, calling it the result of intense deliberation over what the members and Bang Si-hyuk, the company’s chairman, wanted to convey.
The choice of Gwanghwamun as the concert venue was also tied to the group’s identity, said Yoo Dong-ju, HYBE’s APAC representative. He said Bang’s view was that if BTS, which began in South Korea and became global superstars, returned, “the starting point must be South Korea’s most symbolic space.” He said the aim is to share a rare cultural experience in an iconic Korean setting where people of all nationalities and generations raise a toast together.
The buildup is set to peak Friday night with “BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG,” scheduled for 8 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square. The roughly hourlong show is expected to feature large-scale staging using a route from Gyeongbokgung Palace to Gwanghwamun, often referred to as the “King’s Road.” With large crowds anticipated, the members urged fans to prioritize safety.
Leader RM asked attendees to “please follow the guidance of on-site staff and safety personnel” and said he hoped for orderly conduct. Jin said it was an honor to greet fans again in a meaningful place and repeatedly emphasized safety.
Police expect as many as 260,000 people to gather from the stage area to Sungnyemun. That would be the largest crowd since the 2002 World Cup street cheering, when about 250,000 people assembled. The Seoul city government said that as of 3 p.m., about 23,000 people had already gathered near Gwanghwamun and Deoksugung Palace, up about 23.8% from three hours earlier. Officials said the atmosphere remained festive under organized safety management. The event will be livestreamed via Netflix to more than 190 countries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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