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    “So embarrassing” – Fans slam HYBE over mediaplay as BTS’ Gwanghwamun concert’s 250K+ international claim contradicts 40K Seoul City reports

    Gossip
    Runfyers
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    On March 21, BTS returned with The Comeback Live | Arirang at Gwanghwamun Square. Before the concert, international outlets, including Rolling Stone and CNN, reported numbers above 250K. At the same time, HYBE shared a lower estimate of around 104K. This figure was based on ticket data and mobile tracking.

    Meanwhile, Korean media reports put the turnout at around 80K. Soon after the concert, different attendance figures began to circulate. That range aligned more closely with on-site visuals. On the other hand, the Seoul Metropolitan Government reported about 40k to 45k.

    This total also included staff and officials of 15k present for safety. As these figures spread, the variation became clear. Earlier projections had suggested over 200,000 people in central Seoul. Therefore, large-scale preparations were put in place. However, official counts later showed a smaller crowd. That contrast raised questions about the initial estimates. The differing numbers have sparked backlash among fans online.

    “This is so embarrassing,” an X user commented.

    Fans keep accusing HYBE of “media play” to manipulate its numbers.

    #they still lying hype media play is really crazy 🙂‍↔️

    Hybe just crowned BTS a national embarrassment … look what media play can do to your moneymaker group when it doesn’t work the way they expect

    Hybe and their media play.. all those achievement and metric just to fire up kpop competition and fanwar. All the toxicity in kpop now is create by hybe..

    Others accused HYBE of paying the media to exaggerate the numbers.

    It’s impossible for there to be 250,000 people there, my God, who’s stupid enough to believe that? Every website says something different. Man, Hybe must have paid very well.

    the kmedia outlets (who were actually there) report a complete different number. even hybe reported about a 104k 😭 i suggest that u tell #your group’s company that they make a gc w all their paid media outlets so that the manipulation wont be too obvious! kinda embarrasing eh

    i guess the amount of attendees depends on how much hybe paid that media outlet or whether they paid them at all

    More about BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG

    BTS returned to the stage with BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, streamed worldwide on Netflix from Gwanghwamun. At the same time, the show introduced their fifth studio album ARIRANG on stage. Several songs were performed live for the first time. These included Body to Body, Hooligan, 2.0, and Like Animals. Familiar tracks Butter, MIC Drop, Dynamite, and Mikrokosmos were also in the lineup. As a result, the set mixed new material with known hits.

    Meanwhile, RM remained seated for most of the show. This followed an ankle injury during rehearsals the previous day. The band’s leader has been advised to rest for at least two weeks to limit movement while wearing a cast. Following this, the septet’s world tour begins in Goyang-si next month. It then moves to North America in late April. In total, the schedule covers over 80 shows across 34 regions.

    However, before this, a documentary, BTS: THE RETURN, will be released on March 27 through Netflix. It follows their reunion after military service and will show behind-the-scenes of making the ARIRANG album.