K-pop sensation BTS dazzles, in what could be its last concert for years, to support South Korea’s bid to host World Expo

Name: K-pop sensation BTS announces plans to take indefinite break to recharge and grow solo careers
Uploaded: 2022-10-15T14:28:24.000Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: K-pop sensation BTS announces plans to take indefinite break to recharge and grow solo careers

The concert in Busan is to promote South Korea’s second-biggest city as a candidate to host the 2030 World Expo and drew tens of thousands of fans from all over the world

The band will go on hiatus for members to focus on solo projects and has not said how long the hiatus would last

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BTS attend the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3. Photo: Reuters

Bloomberg

Published: 10:28pm, 15 Oct 2022

South Korean boy band BTS performed together on Saturday for the first time since the shocking announcement in June that the band would take an indefinite hiatus, attracting fans desperate to see the group together for what could be the last time in years.

The concert in Busan is to promote South Korea’s second-biggest city as a candidate to host the 2030 World Expo and drew tens of thousands of fans from around the world, underscoring the group’s role as cultural superstars as well as an economic powerhouse that will be hard to replace.

The band has said its members want to focus on solo projects and, while it has not said how long the hiatus would last, the oldest singer in the group faces a deadline this year to begin compulsory military service, so it could be years before the whole band could get back together.

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K-pop sensation BTS announces plans to take indefinite break to recharge and grow solo careers

“This is the last concert that was planned,” said Kim Seok-jin, BTS’ oldest member, who was given a two-year reprieve to carry out his military service. “As I wasn’t sure when we could do a concert again, I tried to keep all my emotions here. But we can always have another one and you will come again, right?”

The seven-member pop group has been central to South Korea’s creative wave, known as hallyu, that rippled through Asia before reaching mainstream consumers in the US and Europe.

Together with Psy’s viral hit song “Gangnam Style” and black comedy thriller Parasite, K-pop has helped to boost the country’s appeal as a cultural force and tourist destination.

A study in 2018 by Hyundai Research Institute showed the total economic value that the group could create between 2014-2023 would be worth 56 trillion won (US$39 billion). South Korea posted a record trade surplus in intellectual property rights in the first half of this year, according to Bank of Korea data, helped by the overseas popularity of BTS as well as K-dramas and movies.