The Great BTS Takeover

BTS just painted the whole city of Seoul purple and I’m so here for it!

A few days after I booked a flight to South Korea to be the "tour guide" of my relatives from Norway, BTS announced that they will hold a comeback concert in Seoul. The concert is free and ARMYs are fighting tooth and nail to get access to the tickets. Since I was my family’s companion first before I’m an ARMY, I had resigned myself to the fact that I might be in Seoul during the whole "Arirang" comeback festivities, but that I won’t be able to be there when they perform live. 

Fate had it otherwise since it turned out my relatives wouldn't be able to make it, and so my vacation turned into an ARMY pilgrimage-slash-semi-work trip.

Welcome to ARMY mecca!

On March 20, the day the new BTS album "Arirang" was released, Seoul turned into ARMY mecca and it is, indeed, a wonderful time to be an ARMY right now! If you happen to be in the city, you’re in luck, because even if you don’t have tickets for the show, you can access BTS-centric activities that will make your heart ‘swim’ in delight.

My first order of business was the BTS Comeback Drone Light Show at the Ttukseom Hangang Park. The event was free to the public on a first come, first serve basis, so I expected the venue to be packed. However, I was surprised at how orderly the crowd control was. Marshalls were already waiting from the exit of the subway station to guide visitors to the venue. Even if the freezing air from the Hangang River was testing my thermal OOTD, the cold never bothered me, because the best part was the city installed portable toilets everywhere! 

It’s my first time seeing a live drone light show, and what made it extra special was the fact that I was able to share the moment with fellow Filipino ARMYs I met at the venue.

Pandemic ARMY Therese Good Fortune Carillo made sure she wouldn’t miss the boys’ comeback in Seoul:.

“Super excited na ako, ‘yung excitement ko, tinalo pa nung kinasal ako! 2021 pa lang pinaghandaan ko na ito, physically, emotionally, financially… hindi ko masabi ang amount na nagastos ko na rito kasi hindi ko na-declare sa asawa ko, but I had to return to corporate para may panggastos ako sa world tour nila!”

While waiting for the drone show to start, she shared how "loving" BTS can also be challenging physically.

“Nagpa-therapy pa ako for my back para makalakad ako, gaya nito, nakaupo tayo sa lamig, I really prepared kasi para rin tayong athlete!”

Her friend, Jomalyn Tecerero added, “Sa kanila nakasalalay ‘yung buong taon namin. Kapag may travel kami, check muna namin schedule ng BTS, kung mayroong tatapat doon, hindi puwedeng lumabas! Umiiyak na wallet namin, but card will provide!”

After the drone show, ARMY Jeng Romero couldn't stop gushing, especially when the lights formed the face of her favorite members V, Jin, and Jungkook.

“Nakakakilig ‘yung drone show, sana ‘yung bias ko talaga ‘yung lumalapit!”

BTS on iconic structures 

After the drone show at Ttukseom Hangang Park, I headed straight to the Sungnyemun Media Facade. I had to pre-register days before for the event, and even if my schedule was at 11 p.m., the queue was still almost half a kilometer long. Organizers handled it efficiently and I was able to make it in time to watch the three-minute HD performance which transformed the historic gate into a massive digital canvas.

HD projected visuals, motion graphics, and BTS-related imagery moved in sync to create a cinematic experience in the middle of the city. It wasn’t just about the spectacle. The show leaned into themes tied to BTS’ current era, blending traditional motifs with modern storytelling so it felt rooted. 

What made it land, though, was the choice of venue: Sungnyemun isn’t just any landmark, it’s one of Seoul’s most symbolic structures, a survivor of centuries of change. Featuring a global pop act like BTS on that structure felt like a visual reminder that Korean culture is evolving, expanding, and confidently taking up space on the world stage.

Countdown to Zero O’Clock

A few days before the concert, I was able to visit the stage up close. The massive setup at Gwanghwamun Square sits right in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, with its main gate, Gwanghwamun, acting as a striking historical frame behind the performers. Further in the background is Bugaksan Mountain, which creates an unbeatable layered backdrop of nature, history, and modern pop culture.

Security at the BTS concert struck some as excessive, but in context, it feels less like overkill and more like hard-earned caution. South Korea still carries the memory of the Pangyo Techno Valley concert tragedy, where 16 people died and several others were injured after a crowd gathered on a ventilation grate that gave way during a K-pop performance. 

More recently, in October 2022, Seoul also dealt with the Halloween Crowd Crush in Itaewon, where more than 150 people perished and hundreds were injured in a stampede. 

These incidents triggered nationwide outrage, with many questioning crowd control protocols and accountability at public events. Since then, authorities have taken a far more rigorous approach, prioritizing structured crowd flow, reinforced barriers, and visible enforcement, not just to manage fans, but to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. 

While some Filipino ARMYs were able to secure tickets for the live show, Rem de Leon assured her fellow ARMYs who were not as fortunate that nobody will be left out.

“Mag-e-enjoy lahat kasi maraming hinanda ang BTS for us, so siguradong masaya tayo mapa-Team Loob or Team Labas or Team Bahay pa kayo,” she said.

Since attending the concert was a last minute thing for me, I don’t expect to see the boys up close. #TeamBahay would probably have a better view compared to #TeamGedli (on the sidestreets of Gwanghwamun). But I still choose to count my blessings and to be within the five kilometer radius of BTS, breathing the same below 10 degree air as the boys with hundreds of thousands of ARMYs is just… surreal.

Welcome back, BTS! You are so worth the wait. —JCB, GMA Integrated News