BUSAN, South Korea, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Global K-pop sensation BTS returned to the stage Saturday with a free concert in front of more than 50,000 delirious fans even as questions swirl about the future of the band and the impending military duty that may force them out of action.
The concert, called BTS Yet to Come in Busan, was held in support of a bid to host the World Expo in 2030, an event that South Korea's second largest city is going all out to capture. Busan Metropolitan City officials estimated that 100,000 people took part in the concert and related events, including large outdoor viewing screens.
Saturday night's show was a return to form for BTS, who last performed in their home country in March under COVID-19 restrictions that led to half-full stadiums and restrictions on audiences singing, cheering and dancing.
This time, fans were in full voice as stage pyrotechnics heralded their idols' entrance, screaming and waving light sticks that blinked and changed colors in stadium-wide sync.
BTS came roaring out of the gate with 2017's "Mic Drop," followed by "Run BTS" and "Run."
The energy level remained high for the majority of the 90-minute show, with hip-hop and dance-oriented songs from earlier in the band's career surrounding global mega-hits such as "Boy With Luv," "Butter," "Idol" and "Dynamite."
The mood turned more introspective as the evening came to a close, however, with tracks "Young Forever" and the melancholy "Spring Day" leading into the finale "Yet to Come," the lead single off of the 2022 anthology Proof.
Almost a decade after their debut, speculation has been rampant that Saturday's show may be the last for BTS for the foreseeable future.
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months, and Jin, the oldest member of the group, is turning 30 in December -- the age limit for enrolling unless BTS is granted a special exemption for its contributions to promoting South Korea's international image.
The law currently allows exemptions for athletes, classical musicians and dancers who win prizes at prestigious global competitions, but there are no standards in place for pop stars and the issue remains a heated and divisive one in the country.
The band's conscription is being reviewed by military authorities within the framework of alternative services, with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup saying in August that the band may still be able to perform concerts internationally even after joining the military.
Partly as a response to the uncertainty, BTS announced in June that it would suspend performing as a group and instead focus on solo projects.
On Saturday, the septet's members asked their fans to keep the faith.
"If you believe in us and trust us, we will keep going and continue to share music with you," RM, the band's leader, said in a closing comment. "Please have faith in us."
"Don't you think we should have 30 or 40 more years together?" Jimin added.
Fans who attended the concert raved about the performance, but some were pessimistic about what the future may hold.
"It was great, awesome, overwhelming." Park Hyang-Kyun said after the show. "It was nice to see all seven members together. I truly sense this could be the last time. That's why I had to come."
Others felt that any interruption would be temporary.
"It was not a goodbye," Kayla King, a teacher from the United States, said. "It was more that they were telling us to wait."
In the days leading up to the show, Busan was transformed into a BTS showcase with landmarks around the city bathed in purple, the band's official color, as tens of thousands of die-hard fans arrived from all over the world.
The city of 3.4 million is looking to leverage the massive global reach of the boy band to give it the edge in its bid to host the World Expo in 2030 over competitors Rome, Riyadh and Ukraine's Odessa.
The expo, held every five years, runs for six months and attracts tens of millions of visitors. Busan city planners believe it will offer both an economic windfall and a boost to the city's global reputation.
"BTS are some of the biggest idols in the world," Jung Eun-jin, deputy director of Busan's 2030 World Expo committee, told UPI. "We want to show that Busan is able to hold big concerts and big events that attract people from all over the world. Busan has the ability, but its name value in the world is still not very high."
Logistical concerns and price-gouging by hotels ahead of the show drew criticism for the city but the concert went off without any obvious major snags, aided by purple-vested volunteers, and the mood surrounding the entire event was unmistakably festive.
BTS management company HYBE, which footed the $4.9 million price tag for the free concert alongside other corporate sponsors, also contributed to the city's festivities with several projects including a customized theme park overhaul, an interactive museum-style exhibition and a pop-up merchandise store that had eager fans camping out overnight.
The concert was livestreamed globally by Korean platform Weverse.
Thousands of BTS lovers who weren't able to get their hands on free tickets turned up outside the stadium venue on Saturday night just to take part in the atmosphere.
"They inspire me so much," said Shaira Aisarova, a 19 year-old from Kazakhstan studying in Busan.
"Their message of 'Love Yourself' helped me so much," she added, referring to a series of albums and concerts by the band. "They made me want to learn Korean and study here. I don't know if this will be their last show, but I'm sure we will still be talking about BTS for years."
