(Yonhap Feature) BTS fans come out early to get close to concert stage

▲ BTS fans line a street near the K-pop group's comeback stage at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ People and safety personnel crowd a street near BTS' comeback stage at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, 2026. (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Feature) BTS concert-fans

(Yonhap Feature) BTS fans come out early to get close to concert stage

(ATTN: ADDS fans' remarks, photos, byline)

By Lee Haye-ah and Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- At 7 a.m., two dozen BTS fans were already lined up against a barricade with a view of the stage where the K-pop group will perform Saturday.

The concert, marking the release of BTS' new album, "Arirang," will begin at 8 p.m., but the hourslong wait is nothing compared to the more than three years they have waited for the band's full-group comeback, said one Danish fan.

"We've been waiting here since 6 a.m. because we weren't able to get tickets," said the 30-year-old, who was joined by a friend. "I think this spot will be closer to the stage than the seats behind it."

The Dane said she has been on a working holiday program in South Korea, and her choice of the country was in part influenced by BTS.

"I'm looking forward to seeing all the members together. I'll be waiting while listening to their new album," she said.

Two friends from the Philippines had traveled to South Korea to witness the return, but they spent little time at their hostel before getting up at 4 a.m. to secure a spot near the stage.

To last them through the day, they were armed with food, water and hand warmers, as the weather was still chilly early in the morning and late at night.

"We waited four years for their comeback, so 12 hours is nothing," one of them said, adding they plan to travel around the country after the concert to visit BTS-related sites.

Police expect around 260,000 people to gather in the area stretching from Gwanghwamun Square, where the stage has been set up, to Sungnye Gate, over a kilometer away.

Security is tight as authorities plan to deploy around 15,000 safety management personnel, including some 6,700 police officers, and bus and subway lines have been partially diverted.

Alejandra Bernal, a 28-year-old Mexican who lives in South Korea, was farther out from the stage, near the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, hoping to watch the show on a screen.

"We don't have tickets, but we plan on staying here until 9 p.m.," she said, describing herself as a fan since 2019.

Pamela Prado, who flew from Bolivia to watch the concert, was also aware that she may not come face to face with the septet.

"It feels like they are here in front of us ... I'm going to cry a lot," she said.

(END)

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