On March 21 at 8pm KST, BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook) held their comeback showcase BTS RETURN LIVE | ARIRANG to celebrate the release of their fifth album ARIRANG.
According to HYBE, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the total number of participants, both inside and outside the venue, was estimated at 104,000 people.
“Based on our internal calculations with the city of Seoul, today’s audience is estimated at 104,000 total,” the company said.
This figure is significantly lower than the 260,000 participants the city initially expected. Meanwhile, police unofficially estimated the crowd at around 42,000 people.
The official capacity at Gwanghwamun Square was around 22,000, but many ticketless fans gathered in nearby streets and surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
The event marked the first comeback of the entire BTS group in 3 years and 9 months, increasing anticipation among fans around the world.
The group released their fifth studio album ARIRANG on March 20, with a total of 14 tracks, including the title song “SWIM”.
The album achieved notable success immediately upon release, selling 3.98 million copies on its first day, topping the Hanteo daily chart and surpassing BTS’ previous first-week sales record of 3.37 million copies in a single day.
The massive turnout in Gwanghwamun once again highlighted BTS’ global influence, even as differing crowd estimates sparked discussions among fans and observers.
Sources: Nate News
