The Return of BTS: A Song of Friendship Linking Southeast Asia and Korea

By Budi Santoso

Budi Santoso is a Southeast Asian graduate student studying international relations in Korea.

Global attention is turning to Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, where BTS is set to hold its long-awaited comeback concert. As one of the world’s most influential music groups returns to the stage, ARMY from across the globe—especially from Southeast Asia, where the Korean Wave enjoys immense popularity—are flocking to Korea in large numbers. Reports of ARMY booking flights in hopes of securing concert tickets illustrate how K-pop has evolved beyond mere cultural content into a vibrant platform for international exchange.

Southeast Asia has long been one of the most enthusiastic consumers of Korean culture. In countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, interest in K-pop, Korean dramas, and Korean cuisine has become part of everyday life. At the center of this phenomenon stands BTS. Their music and message transcend language barriers, national borders, and generational divides, creating a shared sense of connection. For many in Southeast Asia, Korea is no longer a distant foreign country but a familiar and even aspirational place—somewhere they wish to visit and emulate.

Recently, a minor altercation between Southeast Asian and Korean fans at an overseas K-pop concert escalated into an online dispute. While emotions briefly ran high and issues of prejudice were raised, the conflict quickly subsided. This is largely because most K-pop fans share a mutual respect for each other’s cultures and find common ground through music.

The BTS comeback concert represents the pinnacle of this shared experience. In the historic setting of Gwanghwamun, ARMY from around the world will gather to sing and cheer together, symbolizing a powerful sense of global connection. In particular, the moment when Southeast Asian and Korean ARMY sing the same songs and share the same emotions will offer one of the most natural ways to understand one another. Genuine friendship is built when people connect on an emotional level. Culture, in this sense, holds a unique power to ease tensions and strengthen bonds.

It is my hope that the songs of BTS echoing through Gwanghwamun will become, above all, songs of friendship linking Southeast Asia and Korea. In the face of a shared love for music, nationality and language lose their importance. What comes after these songs of friendship—the task of proving their sincerity—belongs to all of us.