HYBE expressed gratitude regarding BTS's comeback performance at Gwanghwamun.
On March 22, HYBE said in an official statement, "We sincerely thank you for the warm support and consideration shown for the BTS performance held yesterday at Gwanghwamun."
Earlier, BTS released a full-group album on March 20, their first in about 3 years and 9 months. Having completed their military hiatus, the BTS members held "BTS comeback live: ARIRANG" at Gwanghwamun square on March 21 and premiered the title track "SWIM."
HYBE said, "First, we deeply thank the authorities who provided Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun, symbols of Korea, as the performance venue," and added, "We know well that Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun are spaces where Korea's history and identity and today's culture live together. HYBE is very honored to have been able to present a performance to the world from this place."
They added, "We deeply thank the police, fire services and other government and local officials who worked to ensure this performance could conclude safely," and said, "We also offer our apologies and thanks to the citizens around Gwanghwamun, nearby merchants, office workers and visitors."
HYBE said, "Because this was a performance attracting global attention, unavoidable measures were taken, including traffic and building controls and searches for hazardous items. We sincerely apologize to those traveling to and from Gwanghwamun square and to everyone whose important schedules and daily lives were inconvenienced. Thanks to your broad understanding and consideration, we were able to create a meaningful time," expressing gratitude and apology for safety measures such as body searches.
They said, "K-pop has grown into a culture that resonates with the world today thanks not only to artists and fans but also to the cultural foundations built together by Korean society and the mature support of the public," and explained, "We know well that this performance was possible on that foundation. Orderly viewing, mature civic consciousness and acts of consideration for one another made this performance shine even more. We once again thank everyone."
HYBE said, "We will cherish the support and consideration shown for this performance and strive even harder to convey the emotion and value of K-pop and K-culture to the world. In particular, we are grateful that we were able to introduce our proud cultural heritage to the world through the performance, and we will promptly finalize and implement long-term support systems by concretizing plans for protection and promotion of national heritage and cultural properties that are under close discussion with relevant agencies."
Finally, HYBE concluded by saying, "We offer our condolences to all those affected by the Daejeon fire. We express deep sympathies to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured."
Below is HYBE's full official statement
Hello, this is HYBE.
We sincerely thank you for the warm support and consideration shown for the BTS performance held yesterday at Gwanghwamun.
First, we deeply thank the authorities who provided Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun, symbols of Korea, as the performance venue.
We know well that Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun are spaces where Korea's history and identity and today's culture live together. HYBE is very honored to have been able to present a performance to the world from this place.
We deeply thank the police, fire services and other government and local officials who worked to ensure this performance could conclude safely.
We apologize and offer our thanks to the citizens around Gwanghwamun, nearby merchants, office workers and visitors. Because this was a performance attracting global attention, unavoidable measures were taken, including traffic and building controls and searches for hazardous items. We sincerely apologize to those traveling to and from Gwanghwamun square and to everyone whose important schedules and daily lives were inconvenienced. Thanks to your broad understanding and consideration, we were able to create a meaningful time.
K-pop has grown into a culture that resonates with the world today thanks not only to artists and fans but also to the cultural foundations built together by Korean society and the mature support of the public. We know well that this performance was possible on that foundation. Orderly viewing, mature civic consciousness and acts of consideration for one another made this performance shine even more. We once again thank everyone.
HYBE will cherish the support and consideration shown for this performance and strive even harder to convey the emotion and value of K-pop and K-culture to the world. In particular, we are grateful that we were able to introduce our proud cultural heritage to the world through the performance, and we will promptly finalize and implement long-term support systems by concretizing plans for protection and promotion of national heritage and cultural properties that are under close discussion with relevant agencies.
Once again, we sincerely thank everyone who worked hard on the Gwanghwamun performance.
Lastly, we offer our condolences to all those affected by the Daejeon fire. We express deep sympathies to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
March 22, 2026<
[photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]