SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean K-pop megastars BTS will kick off their world tour on Thursday, riding the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.

The seven-member group — widely regarded as the world’s biggest boy band — took to the stage together for the first time last month following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, after releasing their latest studio album “ARIRANG.”