On the 2nd, BTS departed for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for an overseas engagement, and for the first time in a while all seven members appeared together at the airport.
Despite intense attention from fans and reporters, the members headed to the departure gate with relaxed expressions, greeting each other and joking around in a warm atmosphere instead of looking stiff.
Even during the short moment moving toward the departure gate, BTS's teamwork remained intact. Laughter between the members never stopped, and their natural conversations showed the strong friendship they had built over a long time. In particular, Jungkook amused fans by filming the members crossing the crosswalk on his phone.
They also did not forget to greet the fans who had come to the scene. Rather than hurrying their steps, BTS calmly made eye contact with fans, waving and bowing their heads. They seemed to be enjoying the time together as a complete group for the first time in a while.
BTS will simultaneously release their fifth full-length album ARIRANG worldwide at 1 p.m. on March 20. This album is their first new release in about 3 years and 9 months since the anthology album Proof released in June 2022. By full-length album standards, it is the first in 6 years and 1 month since 2020's MAP OF THE SOUL : 7.
ARIRANG, which includes a total of 14 tracks, borrows the title of Korea's representative folk song to reflect BTS's roots and identity. It is an album that most honestly captures the longing and love felt during the hiatus and the "current BTS," and it is reported that all members directly participated in production starting in the second half of 2025.
The response has been explosive. The album surpassed 4.06 million preorders within a week of the start of pre-sales, breaking its own record. Spotify presaves also exceeded 2 million in four days, threatening the records of global top artists.
The promotional power for the comeback is also beyond imagination. BTS will hold a comeback stage, BTS comeback live: ARIRANG, at 8 p.m. on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the day after the album's release. This is the first time a singer has held a solo performance at Gwanghwamun Square.
In particular, this performance will be broadcast live in real time to more than 190 countries and regions worldwide through a collaboration with Netflix. As the first case of a live performance held in Korea being broadcast worldwide via Netflix, it is expected to be a symbolic stage that once again proves BTS's global influence.
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