[Review] "Performing in My Own Country Brings the Most Joy"... BTS Celebrates 13th Anniversary with 110,000 ARMY in Busan

BTS World Tour 'ARIRANG' in Busan
Returns to Busan After 3 Years and 8 Months for 13th Anniversary
"All of You Are Our Birthday Present" - Reflections From Every Member
Dramatic Effects Fill the 360-Degree Stage, Including Jwibulnori
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BTS World Tour 'Arirang' Busan Concert Scene. Provided by Big Hit Music (HYBE)

"The greatest birthday gift for us is seeing ARMY (our fandom) enjoying themselves. All seven members of BTS are Korean. Performing in my own country, on the land where I was born, is the most joyful experience."

Even the scorching heat, with daytime highs nearing 30 degrees Celsius, could not dampen the fervor of the crowd that filled the stadium. On June 13, the day marking the 13th anniversary of their debut, BTS held the 'Arirang' World Tour concert at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. This was their first performance in Busan in 3 years and 8 months, since the '2030 Busan World Expo Bid Concert' in October 2022. Over two days, from June 12, BTS drew a total audience of 110,000 people.

On stage, the members wiped away sweat as they shared their thoughts on celebrating their 13th anniversary. Jungkook, who is from Busan, greeted the crowd in the local dialect, saying, "Hello, Busan! So many people came today, I hope you have a great time." Jimin said, "It's a meaningful day. I'm happy to sing and dance in my hometown," and added, "Some of the teachers who taught me when I was young are here today. Thanks to them, I grew up well and stayed on the right path. I will continue to repay everyone with even better performances."

J-Hope said, "This is a truly meaningful day. I've been waiting for it," and encouraged the audience by calling out, "Isn't this Busan?" in dialect. Suga and Jungkook mentioned that their parents and relatives were present at the venue as well.

At the center of the stadium, a 360-degree open circular stage was set up so that the audience could view the performance from every direction. A pavilion-shaped structure, modeled after Gyeonghoeru, stood at the center, and four protruding stages symbolizing the four trigrams of the Korean flag (Geon, Gon, Gam, Ri) stretched out in all directions.

The concert began with a performance of the opening song 'Hooligan', featuring a group carrying red smoke flares crossing the field. This was followed by stages for 'Aliens' and 'Run BTS', accompanied by an animated sequence inspired by the works of artist Do Ho Suh displayed on the giant screens.

During the stage for 'they don't know 'bout us', traditional Korean mask images were projected onto the screens, while the 'Merry Go Round' performance featured large cloths tracing the movements of a traditional Buddhist dance. For the 'Not Today' stage, the red and blue colors of the Taegeuk symbol were recreated with lighting effects. For the new song 'FYA' and the hit song 'Fire', the giant LED screens were filled with visuals inspired by traditional Korean fire-spinning and chwi-bul-nori (a traditional fire game), respectively.

BTS World Tour 'Arirang' Busan Concert Scene. (From left) Jin, Jimin, Suga. Provided by Big Hit Music (HYBE)

BTS World Tour 'Arirang' Busan Concert. (From left) RM, V, Jungkook, J-Hope. Provided by Big Hit Music (HYBE)

During the title track 'SWIM', 55,000 ARMY Bomb light sticks illuminated the stadium in blue, transforming the audience into a vast ocean. The members performed choreography that mimicked riding waves by using white cloth. During the 'Body to Body' stage, the audience joined in a mass sing-along of the folk song Arirang, while the choreography evoked the traditional Korean Ganggangsullae circle dance. The 'IDOL' stage was adorned with media art of Gyeongbokgung Palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall, and more than 50 dancers joined the members in a grand parade around the stadium track. The eldest member, Jin, quipped, "Busan, yahoo! Saying this makes me feel like part of the younger generation."

BTS unveiled the Korean version of their new song 'NORMAL' for the first time. J-Hope said, "We prepared a special Korean version just for Busan, so it feels special." Jimin added, "Many people were curious about the lyrics, so I shared them in advance through a live broadcast, and I was proud to see everyone singing along." For the encore, which changes with each show, they performed 'Dimple', the rap line unit song 'Ddaeng' sung by all members, and 'Magic Shop'.

Given the hot weather, giant water cannons were used during the 'Dynamite' and 'Butter' stages. Some fans even put on raincoats just before these performances. J-Hope looked out for the audience, saying, "It seems the fans in the front rows were surprised when the water came out suddenly," and V laughed, "Many people are enjoying even getting hit by the water cannons."

After the 'IDOL' stage ended and the lights went out, the entire audience sang 'Happy Birthday' in unison. Fans holding banners with congratulatory messages or wearing cake-shaped costumes were shown on the big screen.

The members expressed their gratitude to the fans who have supported them for so long. Jin said, "The reason we've been able to spend 13 years together is all thanks to you. Because of you, we've been able to endure for so long. You all are giving us the birthday present."

BTS World Tour 'Arirang' Busan Concert Scene. Provided by Big Hit Music (HYBE)

RM, reflecting on the past 13 years, said, "It feels like just yesterday that we were practicing our debut song 'No More Dream' in the rehearsal room, but so much time has passed. There have been many changes, such as more English lyrics in our songs and the K-pop industry becoming massive."

He continued, "Younger artists often ask us the secret to keeping a team together for so long, and through my six other members, I've been able to reflect on myself. No matter where we are, we will always do our best to show our true selves." V added, "Busan is especially meaningful because it was the last place we performed together as a full group before starting our military service. I want to keep making music for our fans for a long time to come."

After wrapping up the Busan concert, BTS will meet fans in Madrid, Spain, on June 26. The group is scheduled to hold 86 concerts in 34 cities around the world as part of their world tour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.