When BTS takes the stage at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Friday and Saturday to celebrate 13 years since the group’s monumental debut, the choice of city will carry significance beyond just another stop on the group’s world tour.
While Seoul has long served as the center of BTS’ activities, Busan occupies a unique place in the group’s story, holding special meaning for both the bandmates and the fans.
The two days of concerts mark BTS’ first performances in the city since 2022’s “Yet To Come in Busan” concert, widely regarded as the group’s final major full-group performance before the bandmates began their respective military service.
“For many fans, the return creates a symbolic full-circle moment,” culture critic Kim Heon-sik told The Korea Herald. “If the 2022 concert marked the end of one chapter, this year’s anniversary concert represents the beginning of another — one that comes after all seven members have completed their military duties and resumed group activities.”
For many Army — as BTS fans are known — Busan remains closely tied to memories of that 2022 concert. But over the last four years, the city has since become associated not only with BTS’ final preenlistment performance, but also with Jimin and Jungkook individually.
Busan occupies a special place in BTS’ growth story, as the hometown of Jimin and Jungkook. Long before they became part of one of the world’s biggest music acts, the two spent their childhoods in the city’s neighborhoods, attended local schools and built memories that continue to resonate with fans today. Schools that the two attended, restaurants they frequented, as well as landmarks across the city have become popular pilgrimage sites that fans visit to form a personal connection with them.
“Busan feels special because it’s connected to both BTS’ past and its future,” BTS fan Choi Ji-won told The Korea Herald. “It’s where Jimin and Jungkook grew up, but it’s also where many fans last saw the group together before military service. Coming back here for the anniversary feels like closing one chapter and opening another.”
The upcoming Busan concerts hold even more significance as Saturday’s concert is the same day as BTS’ debut anniversary, with fans looking forward to celebrating 13 years together.
“The symbolism of them coming back home to celebrate their debut anniversary is what makes this occasion even more touching, as anniversaries naturally invite reflection on beginnings and growth,” shared Choi. “Holding the celebration in a city connected to Jimin and Jungkook adds a personal dimension to this special occasion.”
The decision also reflects how Busan has become an increasingly important city within BTS’ broader narrative. Home to two members, the site of a landmark preenlistment concert and now the venue for a major anniversary celebration, Busan has emerged as more than a tour stop. Choi added that for many fans, it has become “a place where BTS’ past and present intersect.”
BTS’ performances in Busan also hold particular importance for the city and its economy. BTS’ concerts have long been associated with substantial economic benefits, earning the group influence so significant that the term “BTSnomics” was coined to describe its impact on tourism, consumption and related industries.
The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute in 2022 estimated that BTS’ “Yet To Come in Busan” concert could generate up to around 1 trillion won ($660 million) in economic ripple effects, including tourism and related spending.
Anticipating a similar influx of visitors this year or more, businesses across Busan’s retail, hospitality and tourism sectors have rolled out BTS-themed promotions and special events in hopes of capturing the economic benefits associated with the group’s return.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
