BTS Returns with a Full-Lineup After 4 Years

BTS returned in their full lineup after four years, releasing their fifth studio album “ARIRANG” on March 20 and holding a free concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, thereby demonstrating their enduring popularity.

Netflix stated that BTS is the first solo artist whose music concert has been broadcast live worldwide simultaneously. This event is regarded as a significant turning point that transcends the boundaries between global fanbases and music content.

HYBE projected that its revenue in 2025 will reach 2.6499 trillion won, the highest on record, marking a 17.5% increase from the previous year. However, operating profit will only amount to 49.9 billion won, a 72.9% decline compared to 2024. HYBE explained this as the result of initial investment costs associated with new artist Debuts and one-time expenses arising from restructuring the business model.

Last year, HYBE introduced several new artists, including the boy group Aoen targeting the Japanese market, CORTIS — Big Hit Music’s first new artist in six years — and Santos Bravos aimed at the Latin American audience. In North America, the company restructured its operations by shifting from a management-focused model to an IP business model centered around record labels.

As part of this revised business structure, asset values were carefully reassessed on a conservative basis, leading to the recognition of approximately 200 billion won in impairment losses for the management business segment in the fourth quarter of last year. These are accounting losses without actual cash outflows, and HYBE expects that proactive structural improvements will result in increased profitability starting this year.

HYBE America has partnered with renowned creator Allen Chicken Chow and Netflix to co-produce a script-based series. The plot follows idol aspirants who enroll in an art academy, form a mixed-band, and face various challenges during their growth. The cast members in the drama are set to debut as real artists, blurring the line between reality and fiction.

In addition to BTS, other groups from Big Hit Music such as TOMORROW X TOGETHER and CORTIS, as well as LE SSERAFIM from Source Music and ILLIT from Billlie Lab, will make a wave of appearances in the first half of the year, continuing their active activities.

That said, several legal risks remain. Minhee Park, who won a lawsuit against HYBE over a 25.6 billion won put option, offered a settlement attempt, but HYBE essentially rejected it.

The earnings generated by BTS’s world tour, scheduled to take place in 34 cities across the globe and featuring 82 performances starting in April, are beyond imagination. Park Joonhyung, a researcher at SK Securities, analyzed that based on 4.3 million attendees and an average ticket price of 330,000 to 340,000 won for regular seats, the tour could generate approximately 1.5 trillion won in revenue. If VIP seating tiers and sales from tour-related merchandise are included, total revenue could exceed 2 trillion won.

SM Entertainment reaffirmed its global influence in February by topping both the new song chart and the trend index chart on QQ Music, China’s largest music platform, with their single “Hearts2Hearts.”

JYP Entertainment is discussing the establishment of a joint venture (JV) for a global festival. The JV is planned to be founded with equal shares contributed by all four entertainment companies, though specific details such as the composition of the executive board and governance structure have not yet been finalized. The project is currently in the initial planning stage, with the goal of holding the festival and then touring major cities around the world starting in May 2028.

YG Entertainment demonstrated its continued popularity recently, as BLACKPINK’s album sold 1,774,577 copies in its first week.