BTS Set for Full Group Return Next Year as Jin’s Fan Concert Tour Sets New Record for Korean Solo Artists

As BTS prepares for a full group return next year, its members are also achieving global success with their individual activities. Having completed their military service, the group is scheduled to return in spring 2026 with a new album and embark on their first worldwide tour since 2022. Hana Securities predicted that BTS’s full group return will have a significant impact on the industry. Lee Ki-hoon, an analyst at Hana Securities, stated, “Apart from the 2024 period when BTS took a break for military service, the K-pop industry has grown every year. When BTS resumes all its activities in 2026, the revenue it generates could rival the combined annual earnings of YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment.” BigBang also shows increasing likelihood of making a full group return in 2026, marking 20 years since their debut in 2006. The group is expected to reorganize as a four-member unit following the departure of Seungri in 2019. Analyst Lee Ki-hoon added, “Considering that YG Entertainment recorded approximately 36 billion won in revenue in 2024 (the year when BLACKPINK was not active), BigBang’s return tour is expected to generate similar levels of income.”

Meanwhile, BTS’s Jin has established a new milestone for Korean solo artists through his solo fan concert tour, '#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR'. Starting in Goyang last June, Jin held 18 performances across 9 cities, including Japan, the United States, and Europe, breaking multiple historical records. He became the first Korean solo artist to perform at London’s O2 Arena in the UK and drew the largest audience ever for a Korean singer at Honda Center in Anaheim, USA. He also recorded as the first Korean solo artist to sell out the entire capacity of the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The tour concept expanded the universe from BTS’s official YouTube series ‘Runseokjin’ onto the stage, where Jin performed various songs and provided unique entertainment through games and costuming events with his fans. Overseas media outlets gave positive reviews as well. Britain’s Rolling Stone described it as “not just a K-pop concert, but Kim Seok-jin’s world itself,” while the Los Angeles Times praised it as “a masterclass in fan interaction.” In response to fan requests, Big Hit Music has decided to hold an encore fan concert, '#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR_ENCORE', at Incheon Munhak Gymnasium on the 31st and November 1st. A company official said, “We will present a stage that encapsulates the experiences gained from touring around the world, with a larger scale than the June Goyang concert.”