BTS Celebrates 13th Anniversary in Busan with 110,000 Fans; New Songs and Emotional Performances Debut

The group BTS held the Busan leg of its “ARIRANG” world tour from June 12 to 13 at the Asiad Main Stadium, where they met approximately 110,000 of their fans known as ARMY. This concert served as a celebration of BTS’s 13th anniversary since Debut, offering members a meaningful opportunity to honor their debut date of June 13, 2013, together with their fans.

“As seeing you all enjoy our performances is the greatest birthday gift for us,” said Jin. True to his words, BTS expressed sincere gratitude to their fans at the concert venue. The members emphasized, “We’ve spent 13 years together, and it’s all because of you,” adding, “We are Koreans. Performing in our own country and on our own land brings us the greatest joy.” RM reflected on time passing, saying, “It feels like just yesterday we were practicing ‘No More Dream’ in the studio, yet so much time has already passed. As we performed ‘Magic Shop’ today, 13 years flashed before our eyes.”

Special stages exclusive to Busan were also prepared. The Korean version of the new song “NORMAL” from their fifth studio album “ARIRANG” was unveiled for the first time at the Busan concert, along with another track, “One More Night.” J-Hope highlighted the uniqueness of these stages by saying, “These are newly prepared Korean versions just for Busan.” Jimin and Jung Kook, who performed on stage in their hometown of Busan, shared special emotions. Jimin expressed his joy by saying, “I’m so happy to be able to come to my hometown on such a meaningful day, sing and dance with you all.” Jung Kook greeted the crowd in his familiar Busan dialect, saying, “Busan, it’s great to see you!”

The concert incorporated modern interpretations of traditional Korean elements. Mystical visuals using traditional Korean music, performances featuring the taeguk pattern, and reinterpreted videos of traditional masks adorned the stage. During “Body to Body,” a massive water stream was released, with 55,000 fans singing the folk song “Arirang” in unison, pushing the festive atmosphere to its peak. The “IDOL” stage, featuring around 50 dancers, turned the entire stadium track into a parade, expanding the stage space to cover the whole venue.

BTS also prepared gifts for their fans on their anniversary. The “reverse gift” gift bags prepared by the members contained cosmetics, perfumes, umbrellas, towels, mask packs, along with handwritten letters from each member and photo cards signed by them. However, shortly after the concert, these gift bags were frequently listed on second-hand trading platforms, sparking controversy. On platforms like Danggeun Market and Beonghwa Jangtae, “BTS Busan Concert Gift Sets” were traded at prices ranging from just over 100,000 won to around 200,000 won, with sets including photo cards reaching prices in the 300,000 won range.

Despite the concert’s success, operational issues were also pointed out. On the first day, the concert started at 8:15 p.m., 1 hour and 15 minutes later than scheduled at 7 p.m., due to delays in audience entry. This was caused by confusion in on-site guidance, bottlenecks in distributing fan gifts, and delays in collecting merchandise. HYBE issued an official statement apologizing for the great disappointment and inconvenience caused to fans who waited so long to attend the concert, promising to take measures to prevent similar congestion during the second day’s performance.

There was also controversy over inflated accommodation prices in the Busan area. With all hotels fully booked, some places charged more than three times the regular price for lodging, and 10 cases of ticket scalping were detected. It was also noted that aside from the 25-year-old Asiad Main Stadium, there are no other large-scale concert venues in the region.

This Busan concert marked the first time BTS performed as a complete group in 3 years and 8 months since their last full-group show, “Yet To Come in Busan,” held in October 2022 before members enlisted. Approximately 50,000 foreign tourists are estimated to have visited Korea to attend the concert, while online viewers from 191 countries and regions joined via Weverse streaming. On BTS’s Debut Day, June 13, live screenings were also held in theaters across over 80 countries and regions.

After the Busan concert, BTS will continue with their European tour. Starting with performances in Madrid, Spain, from June 26 to 27, they plan to hold a total of 10 shows in 5 cities, including Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. The “ARIRANG” world tour, which began in Goyang in April, is currently the largest K-pop tour in history, featuring 86 shows across 34 cities around the world.