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By Jazmyn De Jesus
Global pop phenomenon BTS, will be hosting a free concert in Busan, South Korea in October to promote South Korea as the country of choice to host the 2030 World Expo.
The announcement made in June came as a shock to fans and the public as BTS announced that they will be taking a break to focus on their solo careers.
While the members have been promoting themselves individually, with member j-hope releasing his solo album and headlining Lollapalooza over the summer, it was confirmed that they still have plans as a singular unit.
BTS’s label, HYBE Corporation, took to their website to specify that the seven will remain active in group activities during the hiatus, but will not be releasing music as a group for an uncertain amount of time.
In July BTS was appointed by the South Korean government as the honorary ambassadors of the 2030 World Expo, resulting in them being hosts of the concert where global press and fans can watch the free performance titled, “BTS Yet to Come: 2030 Busan World Expo.”
The title of the concert is derived from the band’s last single “Yet to Come,” and the approaching World’s Fair event, which has not taken place since New Orleans hosted in 1984 with the “Louisiana World Exposition.”
The concert was initially set to be held on an open field to replicate a festival environment, and allowing global press to be front and center. After it was announced that the capacity was expected to be 100,000, concerns by fans were expressed for the safety of the concert attendees and Busan’s public safety workforce advised that the venue be changed to Busan’s Main Stadium.
Fans will now have to enter a raffle to earn a free seat at the stadium. The stakes will be very high for BTS Army, as they battle for a spot at what could be the group’s last performance as a septet for a while.
Many factors loom over how long BTS will be on hiatus, including the mandatory 18-month-long military service all seven members must carry out as male citizens of South Korea. Fans from across the globe have already booked tickets to the group’s homeland in October, even without ensuring a raffle ticket first, as this could be the last chance the public gets to see the world’s biggest boyband shine on stage this decade.
