BTS K-pop group resumes tour to boost South Koreas global influence efforts

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Seoul - A large crowd gathered at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, with an estimated hundreds of thousands of people in attendance. The event was a concert by K-pop group BTS, which had returned to the stage after almost four years away from the spotlight for their mandatory military service.

The concert was part of a larger effort to promote South Korean culture globally. According to estimates, more than 18.4 million viewers worldwide tuned in to watch the concert on Netflix, and over 30 million fans worldwide refer to themselves as the BTS ARMY.

BTS’s return to the entertainment world has been accompanied by significant economic impact. The group’s 10th studio album, Arirang, topped the charts in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, generating substantial revenue. The upcoming world tour is expected to generate over $1.4 billion in revenue across more than 80 shows in 23 countries.

In addition to the economic impact, BTS’s concerts have also led to an increase in inbound tourist numbers. According to Ministry of Justice data, tourist numbers rose 32.7 percent from the previous month during the first 18 days of March. Hotel prices surged across central Seoul amid the demand for rooms, and sales of BTS merchandise surged 430 percent at a retail outlet.

The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) has estimated that a single BTS concert in Seoul could generate up to 1.2 trillion won ($798 million) in overall economic impact. A study by KCTI researcher Yang Ji-hoon highlighted the uniqueness of fandom-driven tourism, noting that more than half of those at the concert were foreign visitors who required long-haul travel to attend.

The scale of BTS’s return to the entertainment world reflects a broader state-backed strategy to promote South Korean culture globally. The Seoul city government provided support for the concert, deploying over 10,000 state personnel for security and logistics. According to data retrieved by a South Korean publication, close to 130 million won ($87,400) of city funds were spent as part of logistics for the comeback concert.

Source: Al Jazeera