BTS throws free concert in Busan to support South Korea’s bid to host the World Expo, four months after the musicians publicized they were taking a break from group activities.
Some 52,000 excited fans, many dressed in purple — the band’s official color — gather in the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Saturday evening, with local reports saying hotels near the venue fully booked.
The night before the concert, major roads as well as a number of tourist spots in the port city, including the Gwangan Bridge, lit in purple in honor of the septet.
BTS credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and their label enjoyed a rush in profits even with holding fewer concerts throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, the septet dropped the bombshell proclamation that they were taking a break as a group to pursue solo projects.
Apart from music, the band has championed global liberal causes, from the Black Lives Matter protests to raising awareness on mental health to battling anti-Asian racism in the United States.
“BTS, if you are getting this message, thank you. Thank you so much for everything.”
An emotional fan from the US told a local broadcaster in Busan on Friday, adding she motivated by their music when things were problematic.
“I will never give up on myself because you never gave up on me.”
‘Believe in us’
In June, the band, who known to tremendously hard-working and maintained a persistent pace of new releases in their nine years atop the charts, said they “exhausted” as they publicized their break.
But just about a month after that statement, the government appointed them official ambassadors for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030.
The prospect of South Korea’s mandatory military service remains to wait over BTS, with its stars ranging in age from 25-year-old Jungkook to Jin, 29, who must sign up by December or risk jail.
“If you believe in us, we’ll overcome whatever comes in our way no matter what, and happily perform and make music. Please believe in us,” the band’s leader RM told fans throughout the concert.
All able-bodied South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform about two years of military service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea.
Seoul’s defence minister in August said BTS allowed to continue performing and preparing for international concerts even while undertaking military duty.
Jin, who turns 30 in December and faces mobilization, announced throughout the concert that he would release a solo album soon.
“I was able to collaborate with someone I really adore,” he told fans, without explaining further.
South Korea is between four countries that have bid to host the World Expo in 2030, sideways with Ukraine, Italy and Saudi Arabia, according to the expo’s organising body.
The Bureau International des Expositions booked to vote on the winning host country next year.
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According to the bureau, the historic events — which take place unevenly every five years — “are a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time by offering … engaging and immersive activities”.