"If BTS is to make a comeback, the starting point must be Korea, and it must be the most symbolic place in Korea."

Dongju Yoo, Head of APAC at HYBE Music Group, explained the choice of Gwanghwamun Square as the concert venue at the 'BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG' pre-media briefing held at Cinecube Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on March 20th.

Yoo said, "HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, who oversees the concert, made this decision after much consideration about what 'BTS-ness' truly is. The very act of fans, the general public, and both domestic and international guests celebrating and enjoying a concert at Korea's most iconic space aligns perfectly with HYBE's vision of expanding the fan experience."

He defined this project as not just a concert, but a "historic and cultural event," and expressed confidence that Netflix was the most suitable partner to create iconic moments in such a symbolic space as Seoul.

The group BTS released their full album "ARIRANG" on the 20th. This is their first new album in 3 years and 9 months since the anthology album "Proof" in June 2022. Provided by Big Hit Music

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An explanation of the musical identity followed. Hyunjung Kim, Vice President at BigHit Music, introduced the new group album 'Arirang', saying, "As the album's name suggests, it started from the identity and roots of BTS."

Kim added, "This album is the result of intense discussions among the members, Chairman Bang, and many staff about what kind of album to create. To deliver the message effectively to the world, we used both Korean and English, and we hope that not only existing fans but also those unfamiliar with BTS can enjoy this album together."

Brandon Leigh, Vice President at Netflix, who supports this project as a global platform, dubbed the concert "the largest viewing party on Earth," emphasizing his hope that "fans around the world will share the excitement in real time."

Leigh stated, "There is no one greater than BTS," and declared, "Among all live events Netflix is holding this year, this concert will be the biggest." He also expressed confidence, saying, "With immense trust in K-culture, we will show the world what kind of results are possible when HYBE and BTS members collaborate with Netflix."

On the 20th, a customer is purchasing the 5th album 'Arirang' by the group BTS at Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun Branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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Garrett English, Executive Producer responsible for technical excellence, asserted that this stage would set a new standard for the music industry. English said, "There are surprises hidden here that have not been revealed," and added, "We invested the maximum resources and time possible for a global live music performance."

He explained, "While respecting the symbolic spaces of Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung, we focused on realizing BTS's creative vision on stage. The core of this partnership is to effectively deliver the dynamic atmosphere of the site to viewers worldwide."

This project also boasts an overwhelming technical scale. According to Netflix, a total of 9.5 km of power cables were installed at the concert site—equivalent to the length of 41,536 official BTS light sticks lined up. The stage roof height reaches 14.7 meters, about the height of a five-story building, and the stage width is 17 meters.

To capture the sense of presence, 23 cameras were used, with special cameras placed on rooftops and various locations over a distance of 1.6 km. The expected video footage volume amounts to 108TB, and the total number of pixels for all LEDs is 50,669,376.

BTS will release their fifth full-length album 'Arirang' at 1 p.m. on March 20th. This marks their first new music release in three years and nine months since the anthology album 'Proof' in June 2022. Through this comeback, BTS is opening a new chapter, 'BTS 2.0'. The album, containing the identity and universal emotions of BTS, was executive produced by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk.

BTS's comeback stage will be held at 8 p.m. on March 21st at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The world-renowned stage director Hamish Hamilton will oversee the production.