“BTS Comeback Live: Arirang (ARIRANG),” set for March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square, will be broadcast live to more than 190 countries via Netflix. Organizers and tourism officials say the event is expected to showcase Korean cultural identity to a global audience and potentially translate interest into travel.
Gil Gi-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, said at a Seoul tourism business briefing held on the 24th that because BTS’ comeback show will be livestreamed on Netflix, “Seoul will likely become more widely known,” and he signaled plans to use the exposure to expand global tourism demand.
The draw, the article said, is Netflix’s reach. Subscribers can watch without additional fees on mobile devices and TVs, allowing fans to join simultaneously under the same subscription model rather than being limited by venue capacity or ticket access. Netflix demonstrated the scale of its live streaming in 2024 with the boxing live event “Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson,” which it said drew 65 million concurrent connections.
Netflix has also argued that viewing can lead to visits. In a survey it conducted in seven countries — Brazil, France, the United States, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan — Netflix was the main service through which overseas viewers encountered Korean content. Among foreigners who watched Korean content on Netflix, 72% said they intended to visit South Korea, compared with 37% among nonviewers.
BTS’ livestream announcement has already fueled interest in the venue among overseas fans.
On social media, users posted comments such as, “I’m excited for a stage at Gwanghwamun,” and, “A performance with Gyeongbokgung Palace as the backdrop is symbolic.” Some fans have shared historical context about the area and exchanged information about Korean culture, reflecting how real-time streaming can broaden curiosity about the host city and its cultural sites.
The article also pointed to broader economic spillover effects tied to global platforms, including tourism, dining and cultural industries. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture Information Service Agency’s “2025 Global Hallyu Trend Analysis Report,” reservations for K-pop experience packages rose 80% during the travel off-season from June to August after the success of “K-pop Demon Hunters.”
It added that after the release of “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” international passengers at Jeju Airport hit a record 2.8 million. It also said Korean food featured in productions such as “Culinary Class Wars” and “Squid Game” drew renewed attention, with keywords including “kimchi” and “chef” frequently cited in overseas media coverage related to K-food.
An industry official said the BTS livestream will help imprint both the current state of K-culture and South Korea’s appeal on viewers in more than 190 countries, adding that with global attention focused on Gwanghwamun, the economic and cultural ripple effects across related industries could be significant.
With Netflix as its global distribution channel, the Gwanghwamun performance is expected to serve as a high-profile invitation for fans to look beyond the screen toward South Korea itself.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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