BTS to Make Full-Group Comeback on March 20 After 3 Years and 9 Months, Emphasizing Korean Identity with Album “Arirang”

BTS will return to the stage as a full group for the first time in 3 years and 9 months. Kim Tae-ho, COO of HYBE, stated in an interview with KBS’s Sunday Diagnosis Live that “BTS is scheduled to Comeback on March 20.” The title of their first regular album following this return is “Arirang.”

This comeback goes beyond merely resuming musical activities by serving as a way to highlight Korean identity. Large-scale comeback stages are being prepared in the areas around Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Kim Tae-ho explained, “As a group that represents K-pop, BTS clearly holds the identity of a group that originated in Korea, and this Comeback holds great significance. Through the album theme of ‘Arirang,’ we aimed to express deep love and universal emotions that people around the world can relate to.”

HYBE is currently preparing a total of 81 performances in 34 cities worldwide. Kim Tae-ho said, “This will likely be the largest-scale tour since K-pop began to be recognized as a genre,” adding, “Considering the performances that have not yet been confirmed, more shows are expected to be added.”

The response in Mexico clearly demonstrated BTS’s global influence. Tickets for the three concerts at the Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, which started selling at 9 a.m. on January 24 (on May 7 and from September 9 to 10), were sold out in just 37 minutes. Ticketmaster described this as “one of the fiercest buying competitions in recent Mexican concert history.” Approximately 1.1 million people joined virtual queues during the ticketing process.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at an official press conference on January 27, “Around 150,000 BTS concert tickets were sold, but in reality, over 1 million people wanted to attend.” She added, “I sent a letter to the South Korean president requesting additional concert dates so that more young people can experience this group.”

Meanwhile, controversies over ticket scalping arose after the tickets went on sale. Members of BTS’s official fan club, ARMY, raised suspicions that tickets were being resold at prices 5 to 6 times their original cost, and Mexico’s Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) announced it would investigate Ticketmaster.