[SC Scene] "We Are Korean" BTS Returns Home... 13 Years of Sincerity Shared with 110,000 ARMY Members (Full Story)

[Busan = Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] BTS has returned home.

On the 12th and 13th, BTS held the Busan concert of their world tour, "ARIRANG," at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium. Busan is a special place for BTS. The last time all the members took the stage together before enlisting in the military in October 2022 was for "BTS Yet To Come in BUSAN," the concert held to support Busan World Expo 2030. In line with their debut anniversary on June 13, the members returned to Busan after about three years and eight months for a homecoming performance.

ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth), the official fan club, responded to the return of the global stars. Over the two days, more than 110,000 fans gathered, turning the Busan area into a festival. From Busan Station to the subway stations leading to the venue, advertisements and promotional events welcoming the members' comeback filled the city with purple.

BTS opened the show with "Hooligan," "Aliens," and "Run BTS," and greeted the crowd by saying, "We have so many good memories in Busan. This is the 13th anniversary on June 13, a day that will never come again."

BTS packed the roughly three-hour concert with their biggest hits and songs from their fifth full-length album, ARIRANG. What stood out most was the way the performance highlighted Korea throughout the show. During "They Don't Know About Us," they presented a performance featuring visuals inspired by traditional masks. In "Merry-Go-Round," they performed with fabric choreography inspired by seungmu, a traditional Korean dance. For the stages of "2.0," "Normal," "FYA," and "Fire," animated concept screens appeared, each inspired by geon-gon-gam-ri, the five elements of nature, jultbulnori, and mebulnori. "Body to Body" featured a ganggangsullae performance, while "Idol" included animated concept screens inspired by media art of Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace and works by Do Ho Suh, creating a strong sense of national pride.

BTS also continued to show their love for ARMY. For the roughly 110,000 fans, the members personally prepared fan gifts that included handwritten cards. They also unveiled the Korean version of "Normal" and "One More Night" for the first time at the Busan concert. BTS, who are currently on a massive world tour spanning 86 shows in 34 cities around the world, made their return home all the more meaningful by singing in Korean. In response, ARMY celebrated the group's comeback by singing a birthday song for their 13th anniversary. The members answered with songs of their own, sharing a warm and cheerful moment.

Jin said, "I had been looking forward to the Busan concert so much. It was such a wonderful time. It gave me peace of mind. It was a time when I felt supported because you were there. For 13 long years, I was able to keep going because you were with us. I am sincerely grateful to ARMY and the members." J-Hope said, "All seven members of BTS are Korean, aren't we? Performing here is the most enjoyable thing." Jimin added, "My elementary school teachers are here today. I was able to grow up well because of them. Then I met all of you, and I was able to grow even more. I will repay you with better music and better stages in the future."

RM said, "So much has changed. The English lyrics have changed, the K-pop industry has changed, and many people ask how a team can stay together before and after military service. I have not really spoken about my inner thoughts, and I have not often talked about things like this, but I think I was simply reflecting on myself constantly. It was an honor to be together. I hope we can stay together for a long time." Jung Kook and Suga also expressed their affection, saying that their mother and aunt, respectively, had come to watch the concert.

BTS closed the show with "One More Night" and "Into the Sun." The group will continue connecting with global fans through the halftime performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, set to take place on July 19 at a stadium in New York and New Jersey, as well as through their world tour.

Baek Ji-eun, Sportschosun