On March 21, BTS returned to the stage after a nearly four-year break, creating what is already being considered a historic moment for K-pop. Their highly anticipated comeback event titled: BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, was broadcast to millions of fans worldwide through a livestream on Netflix that reached over 190 countries. The energy was highly palpable as this was the first time in four years that the members of the South Korean boy group were seen together as a unit; something fans of the artists – known as ARMY – had been patiently waiting for years.
The performance took place at one of South Korea’s most famous historical landmarks and attracted roughly 260,000 people to the site. According to The Korea Herald, the size of the crowd was similar to the massive street celebrations seen during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This concert marked the first time a K-pop group has performed exclusively at Gwanghwamun Square, ensuring the event will be remembered as a significant moment in the country’s cultural history.
Fans light up X as BTS takes the stage
As soon as the lights went up at Gwanghwamun, fans across the globe flooded X – formerly Twitter – with reactions, with BTS and Arirang trending simultaneously in dozens of countries. Here is a look at how the ARMY experienced the night in real time:
As BTS performed the traditional Korean Arirang – Korea’s most iconic and beloved traditional folk song, often considered an unofficial national anthem – at the end of Body to Body, ARMYs flooded X with very emotional responses. One ARMY wrote, “feeling overwhelmingly patriotic to the point of tears and i’m not even korean…..this is how bangtan connects korean culture with the world.” While another commented, “this was when I lost it and cried in front tof my parents, who were also watching with me.” The video of the performance itself has over 60k likes and 24k reposts.
ARMYS also went into hysterics at BTS members’ shenanigans. As the members teasingly gestured to the leader RM – who was seated for the more high-energy performances due to his ankle injury – ARMYs were reduced to key smashing and emojis. One user posted a video of the moment and captioned it, “IM CRYINGHSKSVSM” and the replies were in the same spirit. One user on X wrote, “The way their behavior was so predictable because they can’t stay still when they are around each other joon may be injured but that won’t stop him from entertaining them too.” While another user commented, “That’s his Circus alright and those are definitely his monkeys.”
Check out other hilarious reactions to BTS’s Netflix Live performance:
A comeback for the record books
Even before the concert began, BTS had already rewritten history. Their fifth studio album Arirang sold 3.98 million copies on its very first day – the highest single-day sales figure ever recorded on the Hanteo Chart, surpassing the group’s own first-week record set by Map of the Soul: 7.
The album achieved million-seller status in just 10 minutes of its release, topped iTunes in 88 countries, and the title track Swim simultaneously hit number one on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 90 countries. The Swim music video, meanwhile, racked up 33 million views in its first 24 hours – the most watched music video of 2026 in a single day.