BTS: Busan concert watched by 50 million worldwide

K-pop sensation BTS’s free concert in Busan, Korea was seen by over 49 million people on Saturday.

The free BTS ‘Yet to Come’ in Busan’ concert was held in support of Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo and was an attempt to introduce the city and Korean culture to a global audience.

After a change of location, the physical component took place at the city’s Asiad Main Stadium and attracted around 50,000 in-person guests. Another 10,000 people in the city watched a live broadcast at Busan Port, and another 2,000 gathered in Haeundae, the tourist area that recently hosted the Busan International Film Festival.

The larger numbers came online and on broadcast television.

The online live streaming via Weverse, the fan platform run by the band’s management group, Hybe Entertainment, has garnered approximately 49 million views. Local TV shows in Korea on JTBC achieved a high rating of 3.3%, indicating at least another million TV viewers.

The concert started with “Mic Drop” and continued with “Run BTS”, which included a total of 19 songs. For the unit’s performances, Jin, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook performed “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” and “Butterfly,” while RM, Suga, and j-hope directed “Ugh!”. and BTS Cypher PT.3: Killers. The seven-man act continued the show with hits like “Dynamite”, “Butter”, “Burning Up (Fire)”, “Idol” and “Spring Day”.

“The setlist included songs that best represent the band and everyone – beyond ARMY – can easily sing along,” Hybe said in a statement.

The concert included symbolic elements representing the culture of Busan and Korea. “BTS performed “Ma City,” presenting graphic images of Busan’s beautiful landmarks and landscapes. The “Idol” stage caught the attention of global audiences with traditional Korean visuals and performances such as bukcheong saja noreum (a traditional Korean game of dancing with lion masks),” Hybe explained.