The Kings of K-pop are back: BTS draws 18.4m viewers for Netflix comeback show
Daily TribuneBTS’ comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul, according to the group’s label.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AFP
The kings are back—and the world is watching.
K-pop supergroup BTS made a thunderous return to the stage, drawing an estimated 18.4 million viewers worldwide for their comeback concert, according to Netflix on 25 March.
The seven-member group performed together for the first time after a years-long hiatus due to mandatory military service, just one day after releasing their new studio album ARIRANG. Their highly anticipated return proved that their global dominance hasn’t just endured—it’s grown stronger.
Netflix said the 21 March livestream pulled in massive global viewership, underscoring BTS’ unmatched influence even after time away. The broadcast from Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square landed in the platform’s weekly Top 10 across 80 countries and claimed the No. 1 spot in 24.
The concert also marked a major milestone for Netflix, serving as its first-ever live event in South Korea and its first global livestream of a music performance.
During the show, BTS performed “Body to Body,” a standout track from ARIRANG that features a choral sample of the traditional Korean folk song Arirang—a powerful nod to their cultural roots and the album’s namesake.