The free concert by K-pop sensation BTS in Busan, South Korea, was viewed by close to 50 million people. The free-of-charge ‘BTS ‘Yet to Come in Busan’ concert was held in support of the Korean city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo and represented an attempt to introduce Korean culture to a global audience, reports Variety.
After a change of venue, the physical component was held at the city’s Asiad Main Stadium and attracted some 50,000 in-person guests. An additional 10,000 people in the city watched a live retransmission at the Busan Port, and a further 2,000 gathered in Haeundae, the tourist area that recently played host to the Busan International Film Festival.
According to Variety, the bigger numbers came online and on broadcast TV. Online live streaming through Weverse, the fan platform operated by the band’s management group Hybe Entertainment, claimed approximately 49 million views. Local TV broadcast in Korea on JTBC claimed a high 3.3 per cent rating, suggesting at least another million TV viewers.
The online viewing volume was so high that the platform Weverse often ran into network errors, causing disappointment to fans across the world.
The concert began with ‘Mic Drop’ and continued with ‘Run BTS’, running to 19 songs in total. For the unit performances, Jin, Jimin, V and Jung Kook performed ’00:00 (Zero O’Clock)’ and ‘Butterfly’ while RM, Suga and j-hope staged ‘Ugh!’ and ‘BTS Cypher PT.3: Killer’. The septet continued the show with hit songs including ‘Dynamite’, ‘Butter’, ‘Fire’, ‘Idol’, and ‘Spring Day’.
“The setlist comprised songs that best represent the band and anyone – beyond ARMY – can easily sing along,” said Hybe in a statement, accessed by Variety.
The concert included symbolic elements that represent Busan and Korean culture.
Hybe said, “BTS performed ‘Ma City’ showcasing graphic images of Busan’s beautiful landmarks and scenery. The ‘Idol’ stage caught the eyes of the global audience with Korean traditional visuals and performances such as Bukcheong Saja Noreum (a Korean traditional game that involves dancing with lion masks).”
(With inputs from IANS)
