At 8:00 PM on the 21st, Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square was transformed into a massive purple sea. This was the scene of ‘BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG,’ the first full-group performance by BTS in four years following the completion of their military service. While organizers (HYBE) estimated a crowd of approximately 104,000 people, the venue was governed by sophisticated "control" and "order" rather than chaos.

Foreign Tourists Following ‘ARMY’… Arrivals Explode by 32.7%
This performance transcended a simple entertainment event to become a national economic milestone. According to the Korea Immigration Service of the Ministry of Justice, 1,099,700 foreigners entered the country between March 1st and 18th ahead of the concert, a sharp 32.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, arrivals of teenagers and those in their 20s—the core fanbase of BTS—rose by 40% and 35.2% respectively, outperforming the overall average.

‘Seoul Brand’ Spread Globally via Netflix
The concert was broadcast exclusively to over 190 countries through Netflix, the world’s largest OTT platform. This marks the first time Netflix has live-streamed a performance by a single musical artist. Stage production featuring the night view of Gwanghwamun and Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace was delivered to living rooms worldwide in real-time. Experts estimate that the domestic consumption generated by this event—including lodging, shopping, and transportation—will exceed 1.5 trillion KRW.

‘Ironclad Security’ with 15,000 Personnel… Zero Safety Incidents
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and police deployed a total of 15,000 safety personnel for the event. The entire section of Sejong-daero, from Gwanghwamun Square to Sungnyemun Gate, was controlled, and walk-through metal detectors were installed at 31 entry gates for full security screenings. Major nearby stations, such as Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5, implemented non-stop bypasses to disperse the crowd effectively.

Cleanup Completed Within 3 Hours… The Dignity of ‘Clean ARMY’
As the concert ended around 10:00 PM, attendees began picking up surrounding trash without being prompted. Thanks to the voluntary cooperation of the citizens, the 270 cleaning staff deployed by the organizers and the city were able to finish tidying the site within just three hours of the show's conclusion. By the following dawn, when Sejong-daero officially reopened, the road was so pristine that it was hard to find any trace of a large-scale festival. The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, “This performance is a case study that proved not only the status of K-Culture but also Seoul’s administrative capabilities and mature civic consciousness to the entire world.”