BTS returns with comeback concert in Seoul after four-year hiatus

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returns Saturday with a massive, free comeback concert in Seoul, where thousands of police are locking down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw tens of thousands of fans.

The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launches a monthslong global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia.

All seven members of the band — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — recently completed South Korea’s mandatory military service, and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world's biggest pop acts.

The hourlong concert comes a day after the group released its fifth album, “ARIRANG,” which had already logged several million preorder sales since January.

The band’s management company, HYBE, said RM injured his ankle during a rehearsal Thursday but was expected to perform with some limitations.

Officials expect the BTS concert to draw more than 200,000 people to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured free seats in the designated viewing zone and others planning to watch on screens nearby. It will be streamed live on Netflix.

“It will be amazing because it’s been so long that BTS (was) not with us,” said Dallila Di Tullio, a 32-year old fan from Italy, who called the concert a once-in-a-century event. Marta Corona, a 25-year-old Polish fan, said she would be seeing BTS in person for the first time since a 2019 performance in London. “It’s been a while — I’m very excited,” she said.

BTS debuted in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” It became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020 with their first all-English song “Dynamite.”

Jung Dukhyun, a pop culture commentator, said that the impact of the BTS returning as a full-group after years of pause would be tremendous at a time when global fandom for K-pop has grown much stronger, as shown by the success of Netflix’s animated sensation, “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Police and city officials are imposing stringent crowd-control measures, closing nearby streets, roads and museums, halting the area’s subway and bus services, and sealing off dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounts to a full-day shutdown of the district.

Cars will be barred from the main road between Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall for more than 30 hours through Sunday morning. The government has stepped up anti-terror monitoring, citing global tensions and large crowds of international fans, while police deployed surveillance vehicles and jamming equipment to block unauthorized drones. The restrictions have forced nearby shops to close and deliveries to pause.

Fans and curious onlookers streamed into streets around the square Saturday as police maintained a tight perimeter around the performance venue. Though the gates were not set to open until the afternoon, concertgoers began queuing by midday to secure spots along nearby roads, passing through metal detectors at designated entry points.

“I was hoping to do a little research, if we can go through some holes or be around. Apparently we cannot because they will be asking people to move or not be close,” said Bernice Sanchez, a 52-year-old fan from Switzerland who was looking for a place to stay before the evening's concert.

While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety more seriously since a deadly 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people, critics say the controls are excessive and undercut the symbolism of performing in Gwanghwamun, seen as Seoul’s spiritual heart and most prominent gathering space.

Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Gwanghwamun in recent years to mourn, protest and celebrate as the country weathered tragedy and political upheaval. The BTS concert comes about a year after waves of demonstrators filled the area, calling for the ouster of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Those monthslong rallies were marked by a festive atmosphere and a striking blend of politics and pop culture, with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop light sticks, and ended without major safety accidents.

The new BTS album, “ARIRANG,” draws on a centuries-old folk song regarded as an unofficial anthem in both North and South Korea while Gwanghwamun and nearby Gyeongbok Palace form a sweeping historic backdrop to Saturday’s show.

South Korean officials are counting on the event to promote the country’s culture and growing soft power. In a statement Wednesday, President Lee Jae Myung said the BTS performance would provide “a special moment that people around the world will remember for long.”

“While one pillar of the album is defined by BTS’ identity, the other is shaped by the emotions they feel in the present, specifically universal sentiments such as joy, pleasure, and profound love,” HYBE said in response to questions from The Associated Press.

The 14-track record, with lead single “SWIM,” was recorded in Los Angeles as the group reconvened after years apart.

The group's comeback follows a nearly four-year hiatus driven by South Korea’s mandatory military service, which requires most able-bodied men to serve 18 to 21 months under a conscription system aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea. BTS members began serving in 2022, with Suga the last to complete his service in June 2025.

Despite their yearslong break, experts say BTS’s outlook remains strong, backed by its massive fandom and the continuous global rise of K-pop. South Korea’s SK Securities said Wednesday the group’s “ARIRANG” world tour is likely to become the biggest K-pop tour ever by scale and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally in stadiums of around 50,000 seats.

“They had a fairly long hiatus but still have a historically powerful fandom. As they come back, they’ll likely immediately enjoy a warm welcome and intense fever around the world,” said Ha Jae-keun, a cultural critic. “I think they’ll likely have a second heyday.”

__ AP video journalists Yong Jun Chang and Yong-ho Kim contributed.

K-pop band BTS perform on the stage, left, during the comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Kpop group BTS perform during 'BTS The Comeback Live Arirang' concert in central Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2026. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Kpop group BTS perform during 'BTS The Comeback Live Arirang' concert in central Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2026. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Kpop group BTS perform during 'BTS The Comeback Live Arirang' concert in central Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2026. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Kpop group BTS on stage during 'BTS The Comeback Live Arirang' concert in central Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2026. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

A South Korean police officer signals to pedestrians near the venue of the comeback concert of K-pop band BTS in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Fans of BTS wait for a comeback concert of K-pop band BTS near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Copies of special edition of The Korea Herald newspaper reporting the comeback of K-pop band BTS are seen near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Fans wait near a stage for the free comeback concert of K-pop band BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

People wait to receive special edition of local news papers reporting the comeback of K-pop band BTS near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

People pass by a banner for BTS ahead of a comeback concert of the K-pop band near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Drones fly in the shape of the K-pop band BTS's member RM during a drone light show to celebrate the comeback of the K-pop band BTS at a park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Drones light up the night sky during a drone light show to celebrate the comeback of the K-pop band BTS at a park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A stage for a comeback concert of K-pop band BTS is seen at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A fan of K-pop band BTS reads a newspaper reporting the comeback of BTS before a drone light show to celebrate, at a park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Walls are decorated by pictures of K-pop band BTS at Yoojung Sikdang, a restaurant in Seoul where BTS members frequently ate during their trainee days, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Letters, photographs, and trinkets from around the world, are displayed at Cafe HYUGA, a former trainee dormitory for K-pop band BTS, now converted into a cafe, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

A logo of K-pop band BTS is displayed at Sungnyemun Gate in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026, ahead of their comeback concert. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

FILE - Korean group BTS appears at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Workers adjust a banner promoting a comeback concert of K-pop boy group BTS on the government complex building near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Tensions are high as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday Saturday. Fears in Moscow about security amid the war with Ukraine have forced officials to scale back the annual celebrations, and signs of domestic discontent are casting a shadow over President Vladimir Putin's Red Square events.

A unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine that Russia announced for Friday and Saturday quickly unraveled. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for the continued fighting, just as they did when Ukraine’s own unilateral ceasefire swiftly collapsed earlier in the week.

The accusations reflect the deep-seated lack of trust between the two sides more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. That has thwarted U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to find a peace settlement.

Ukraine's new drone and missile technology has helped it hit deep inside Russia frequently and accurately in recent months, especially major oil facilities.

Meanwhile, rumblings of unhappiness with some of the Kremlin’s wartime policies have put the spotlight on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is due to make a speech on Saturday to mark Victory Day. It commemorates victory over Nazi Germany 81 years ago in World War II and has in the past provided an opportunity for fanfare and national fervor as well as showcasing Russia's military might.

This year is different.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that its forces in Ukraine “completely ceased combat operations and remained at their previously occupied lines and positions” from midnight, when Putin’s unilateral ceasefire came into force.

But it accused Ukrainian forces of continuing to strike Russian positions as well as civilian infrastructure in border areas of the Belgorod and the Kursk regions.

Air defenses shot down 390 Ukrainian drones and six Neptune long-range guided missiles aimed at Russia after midnight, according to the ministry.

A Ukrainian drone strike hit the administrative building of the Southern Russia Air Navigation branch in Rostov-on-Don, forcing 13 airports in the south of the country to suspend operations, Russia’s Transport Ministry said.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a different story. Russian forces continued attacking on the front line overnight, he said, while Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 56 Russian drones.

“All this clearly shows that there was not even a pretense of a ceasefire attempt from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine also claimed Friday more long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities. Zelenskyy said one hit the Yaroslavl region, more than 700 kilometers (400 miles) from the border, although he didn’t specify when the attack happened. Ukraine’s Security Service said a separate strike hit a major Russian oil refinery and pipeline pumping station in the Perm region, more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) away.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has used the USSR’s victory in World War II to rally support for him and the war in Ukraine, as well as to project Russia’s global clout.

That made it surprising that the traditional parade will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment, aside from war planes in a traditional flyover, for the first time in nearly two decades. Officials put the move down to the “current operational situation,” without elaborating.

Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine. The February 2022 invasion was supposed to deliver a quick win for the Kremlin.

Ukraine’s long-range attacks deep inside Russia are rattling the Kremlin. The attacks are targeting Russian oil production as well as manufacturing plants and military depots.

Some Russians are disgruntled about internet censorship and government control over online activities, including the blocking of the popular messaging app Telegram.

All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be restricted in Moscow on Saturday, according Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. It said the drastic measures were to ensure public safety

The restrictions will apply to websites on the Russian government’s “white list,” a group of state-approved online services that are kept available during the country’s increasingly common connectivity blackouts. Home internet and Wi-Fi will be unaffected, authorities said.

“A military parade is intended as a demonstration of strength and bravery, but if it is held furtively ... and with the internet jammed (to reduce the chances of a Ukrainian attack drone being able to navigate to the site), it demonstrates nothing but fear and weakness,” Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, a Berlin-based think tank, wrote in an analysis this week.

Russian officials have repeatedly warned that Moscow would take decisive action — including a potential mass strike on Kyiv — if Ukrainian attacks disrupt official events scheduled for Saturday.

“We have strengthened our focus on the possibility of retaliatory measures,” presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists Thursday.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organizations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case such a strike did take place, and the Defense Ministry urged civilians to evacuate, too.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, expressed surprise that foreign dignitaries would be going to Moscow for the commemorations.

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko were due in the Russian capital. Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, a European Union member, was to meet with Putin and lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls but stay away from the Red Square parade.

AP reporter Hanna Arhirova contributed to this story from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Actors attend a historical reenactment depicting the arrival of trains after the end of the war as a part of celebrations ahead of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II, at the Baltiysky railway station in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)