Netflix to livestream BTS comeback concert in K-pop mega event

Streaming giant Netflix said Tuesday it will livestream BTS’s comeback concert to around 190 countries in what could be the largest live K-pop event to date as the megastars return from military service.

The global stars and South Korea’s biggest music act have been on a hiatus since 2022 while members completed mandatory military service.

All seven members were discharged last year, and the band have confirmed they will release a new album, ARIRANG, on March 20 and stage a free comeback concert in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square the following day before heading on tour.

“BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG will stream live exclusively on Netflix March 21,” the streaming giant said.

It said the performance would be broadcast live to viewers in more than 190 countries.

Their new album, ARIRANG, named after a Korean folk song about longing and separation often seen as an unofficial national anthem, will be their first since the anthology “Proof”, which became South Korea’s bestselling record of 2022.

The new album “contains a deep reflection on the team’s origins and identity”, Netflix said, adding a new documentary featuring the band’s return, titled “BTS: THE RETURN” will be launched on March 27.

Their world tour, kicking off in April, will span 34 cities with 79 shows — the largest single tour by a K-pop group by total performances and the widest regional reach for a South Korean artist, according to their label HYBE.

BTS are big business in South Korea. Before their military service, they generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($3.8 billion) for the country a year, according to Seoul’s Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

The figure is equivalent to 0.2 percent of South Korea’s total GDP.

HYBE shares were up 2.5 percent in the morning trade in Seoul.