K-pop stars BTS to hit the stage in South Korea for the first time since coronavirus began
- The boy band will hold a three-day series of concerts in Seoul this March, music agency Big Hit announced
- Singer V was recently confirmed as the fifth member of the group to have contracted Covid-19, but only has mild symptoms
K-pop stars BTS will perform their first concerts in South Korea since the pandemic hit in March this year. Photo: TNSSouth Korean boy band BTS will hold their first shows for their home fans since the Covid-19 pandemic began, performing three concerts in Seoul next month, their agency said on Wednesday.
The concerts, part of their “Permission to Dance on Stage” tour that has been disrupted by the pandemic, will be held at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium on March 10, 12 and 13, and will also be live streamed, Big Hit Music said.
“We would like to thank all ARMY [BTS fans] for patiently waiting for an in-person concert to be held in Korea,” the company said on its online fan platform, Weverse.
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Since their 2013 debut, the band have spearheaded a global K-pop craze with catchy, upbeat music and dances, as well as lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowerment.
Their last concert for South Korean fans was in October 2019, a couple of months before the coronavirus emerged.
As the pandemic spread in 2020, the band postponed and then called off what was meant to be their biggest international tour involving nearly 40 concerts, holding a few online shows instead.
BTS held their first in-person concerts since the onset of the pandemic in Los Angeles in November 2021, and some diehard South Korean fans flew in for the shows.
The virus has also hit some members of the band, though all are fully vaccinated.
V, the singer and songwriter whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, was on Tuesday confirmed as the fifth member of the band to contract Covid-19, Big Hit said.
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V had no symptoms apart from a mild fever and sore throat, and all the other members had tested negative.
“He is currently undergoing treatment at home,” the company said in a separate statement, promising a speedy recovery.
Rapper RM, vocalist Jin, and rapper Suga tested positive in December soon after their return from the US, and singer Jimin contracted the virus last month.